10b Who Is My Enemy? Part 2 The Evil Exchange
by Margaret Price
Summary: The TARDIS arrives on Tel.Shye, setting into motion a plot that stretches the limits of everyone's friendship with each other and severely tests their loyalty to the Doctor himself. The Fifth Doctor
1. 15 Making Plans

Who Is My Enemy? © 2003 Margaret Price combines the stories Command Override © 1989 AND The Evil Exchange © 1989

This is a 5th Doctor story that takes place shortly after "The Five Doctors."

Author's Note: This story has the dubious honor of being the second fan fiction I ever wrote, Command Override being the was part of a call for short stories put forth in the now defunct Whovian Times. They don't know what they started.

Even though this story is broken into two parts, the chapter numbers are continuous.

* * *

**WHO IS MY ENEMY?**

**PART TWO**

**THE ****EVIL ****EXCHANGE**

**Chapter 15**

**Making Plans**

Normally the weather on Tel-Shye was mild and pleasant, but this was currently not the case. For days it had been unusually cold and now it was raining heavily. Yet King Aaron was oblivious to the bleakness of the day as he strode merrily through the corridors of the Royal Palace, humming contentedly to himself.

The King was a tall, somewhat dashing figure, appearing to be in his early fifties. He had salt and pepper hair and beard and was of the opinion that the beard made him look wise and distinguished (as opposed to old and decrepit) and kept it as the only affectation as monarch. He ended his journey by entering the offices of his social secretary to be greeted by her assistance.

"Good morning, Majesty," the young man said as he rose to his feet.

"Good morning, Cedric," Aaron replied happily. "Is the Baroness available? I need to speak with her."

Before Cedric could respond, a velvety voice came through the open door to the adjoining office. "I'm always available for you, your Majesty."

Cedric grinned and held out a hand. The King grinned back, going through the door and closing it behind him.

The Baroness Tostine had what could only be described as a regal beauty. Her long dark hair fell gracefully about her shoulders, and her sapphire blue eyes sparkled brightly at the unusually jovial monarch. "If you're here to tell me that Jason won't be returning as previously expected," Shadra said as the King entered, "I'm already aware of it and have taken care of everything."

"I'd be surprised if you hadn't, my dear," Aaron replied, motioning that she need not rise. Taking a seat opposite her, he said, "I'm here on what you might call a related matter."

"Related? In what way, my lord?"

"My dear _Lady Tostine_," the monarch sighed, making a point of emphasizing her title. "Will there _ever_ be a time you call me by name again?"

Shadra gave him a knowing look through her eyelashes and smiled sweetly. "Perhaps," she said evasively. "Now, about this _related_ matter?"

"As you know, it's my unenviable honor to arrange the marriage of the Crown Prince," he said, getting to the point. "And as I see it, there's only one person suitable for my rebellious offspring…"

"She'd have to be a saint," Shadra snorted, thinking sadly that she was about to be asked to arrange an engagement party. She had grown up with Prince Jason and knew him quite well. The word intimately sprang to mind, and she tried to push those memories aside but could not escape the fact that she still loved him deeply. Unfortunately, she knew he no longer felt the same way he had when they were young…so very, very long ago.

The monarch smiled affectionately. "Yes. How would you like to apply for sainthood?"

Shadra's jaw dropped open. She was overwhelmed, delighted, and heartsick all at the same time. "I…I…don't know what to say," she managed finally.

"Say, yes."

Shaking her head, the Baroness said regretfully, "I can't. As much as I'd like to. Jason…he doesn't…well, he doesn't feel the same way he once did."

The King's reaction was not what she expected. He burst into laughter. "My dear child!" he exclaimed. "Even a _blind_ man can see my son adores you. And you him."

Lowering her eyes, Shadra replied, "Surely you're mistaken."

"I doubt it. But if I'm wrong, I promise, I won't press the issue. In fact, if you so desire, you can tell him yourself as soon as he returns."

"And when will that be?"

"According to his latest communication, he's hoping to have things in hand in under a month's time."

"If he comes back at all," Shadra sighed heavily. "I understand he came across the Doctor while he was at the Institute."

"You don't miss a thing, do you?" Aaron remarked, receiving a self-conscious smile in return. In a conspiratorial tone, he went on to say, "Oh, he'll be back, don't you worry. I took the precaution of sending a formal thank you to the Doctor and inviting him and his companions to be my guests here on Tel-Shye." Holding up the communication he had just received, he added, "And I'm happy to report, the Doctor has accepted."

* * *

Knowing the Master's way of dealing with loose ends was to kill them, the Doctor and his companions had searched the Institute for survivors following the destruction of the transference unit. Prince Jason's skills as a Healer had once again proved invaluable during this time. Before outside assistance arrived, he set about treating the staff members, who had been needlessly brutalized before being imprisoned by the Master's subjugated security force. Jason found it ironic that he was suddenly utilizing the very ability that had brought him to the Institute in the first place, and on the very people who had been tested him with the most sterile, unemotional, scientific coldness he had ever encountered. A coldness that seemed to melt away in the care of the gentle mannered Alterran.

The Doctor's companions had done what they could to help, Tegan assisting the Doctor in organizing and destruction of paperwork while Turlough attached himself to Jason. For reasons he could not define himself, Turlough had taken an immediate liking to the Prince, which for him was highly unusual. Trust in others did not come easily, yet he found the unassuming Alterran easy to talk to, the friendship growing stronger with each passing day.

When assistance finally arrived, Jason announced he would be accompanying his friends to Tel-Shye rather than wait for a transport. Turlough could not have been more delighted when he heard this, as it would give him ample opportunity to press him for information on his previous exploits with the Doctor, which had been during the Time Lord's more eccentric fourth incarnation.

Turlough was reflecting on everything that had happened while Jason finished a lengthy entry in one of his well-worn notebooks. They were in the Alterran's old room in the TARDIS, which was as unconventional as its previous occupant. Turlough's initial impression had been that it looked like a combination of a bedroom, library, ultramodern laboratory, and medieval apothecary. There were row upon row of exotic herbs and chemical compounds in clear glass jars (each carefully labeled and catalogued) positioned on shelves that would easily have blended into the trappings of any medieval alchemist. Of course, Jason had more practical uses for his collection than turning lead into gold. Along with his skills as a Healer, he was also an herbalist and adept chemist, the latter of which he modestly conceded was true only because he liked playing with all the little bottles.

Finishing his entry at last, Jason put the book aside and turned to see his friend examining his elaborate collar of rank, which he had tossed on the bed. "Well? What do you think of it?" he asked finally.

"I think it's very heavy," came the honest reply. "You don't _really_ have to wear this thing all the time, do you?"

"No," the Prince laughed, taking the collar and putting it on. "I wore it all the time at the Institute because they expected it. Along with these clothes. The illusion wouldn't've worked otherwise. Normally this is worn during official functions, and _I_wear jeans." Pausing, he added thoughtfully, "I do like this cape, though." He turned in spot to make his point, the cape swirling around him.

Turlough laughed as the Alterran then made a dramatic exit, his cape billowing behind him. They made their way through the twisting corridors of the TARDIS, heading, more or less, in the direction of the console room, chatting contentedly as they went.

* * *

In her own room, Tegan was preparing for their stay on Tel-Shye. When the King's invitation arrived, she had pleaded with the Doctor to accept, his hesitancy puzzling and annoying her. They had been through a number of hair raising adventures of late—too many in her opinion—and she did not think it unreasonable to want to spend time in a friendly place.

What the occupants of the TARDIS did not know was the Doctor's arrival on Tel-Shye would set into motion a plot that would stretch the limits of their friendship with one another and severely test their loyalty to the Doctor himself.


	2. 16 Going Home

**Chapter 16**

**Going Home**

Inside the TARDIS's impossibly large console room, the Doctor was scowling down at the control console. He moved from panel to panel, mystified by the fact that everything seemed to be in working order. While this should have pleased him, he found it disconcerting that the TARDIS should suddenly choose this particular moment in time to start behaving herself.

"Doctor, is it true you actually traveled with a knife wielding savage?" Turlough asked amusedly as he and the Prince entered.

The Doctor shot a murderous look at Jason, who felt the invisible daggers flying in his direction and came to the immediate conclusion that he had better end the details from the past before his friend decided to drop him off on the nearest asteroid.

"If you're referring to Leela," the Doctor replied tersely, "then the answer is yes." A small smile came to his face at the thought of the strong willed warrior of the Sevateem.

Seeing the smile, Jason relaxed slightly. Getting reacquainted with old friends was difficult enough without its being complicated by regeneration. The Doctor was a little more even tempered and a little less erratic than the last time Jason had seen him. But he still retained the insatiable curiosity that always seemed to land them into trouble.

"How long before we arrive?" Tegan asked as she joined the others in the console room.

"Not long," the Doctor replied vaguely.

"It'll be nice to be home for a while," the Prince breathed happily.

The Doctor was puzzled. "A while? You're not staying?"

"You saw the message from Father," Jason said, pulling a paper from his pocket and waving it in the air. Without opening it, he recited the passage that most annoyed him. "_…am working on the arrangements to enable you to comply with all traditions related to your status as Crown Prince." _Crumpling the note, he gave an indignant snort. "You know what this means, don't you? He's fixing me up to get married! Arrangements indeed!"

Turlough had to stifle a laugh. A gesture the Prince did not appreciate. Tegan found it difficult not to giggle and hid her amusement behind a hand to her face. Looking at the Doctor, Jason saw his eyes twinkling above a broad smile. _Not you, too_.

"Oh, come now, Jason," the Time Lord said cheerily. "She can't be as bad as all that."

"That's just it! I don't even know who it is. Now that I'm Crown Prince, I can't even choose my own wife. Or if I even want one, for that matter," the Alterran protested. "I've been perfectly happy on my own for the last two and a half centuries, thank-you very much."

"An arranged marriage?" Turlough said in surprise. "Isn't that a bit…archaic for a race as old as yours?"

"If Terran—my father's predecessor—hadn't died without issue, I wouldn't be in this fix to even be worrying about it," Jason replied evasively. A growl rumbled in his throat and he thumped a fist on the console in frustration. "I'm gone for months and _this_ is the welcome home I get. Well, I'm not going to let him do it to me. I'm not!"

"Don't be so theatrical," the Doctor admonished. "Aaron's just looking out for your best interest the way he—"

"Best interest!" Jason exploded. "Doctor, I can't believe you're defending him. The whole purpose of that invitation was to get you to bring me home and you know it! We both know you never would've even gotten a thank-you otherwise."

The Doctor's companions exchanged a baffled look. "Have we missed something?" Turlough inquired.

The Time Lord cleared his throat, throwing a quick glance in the agitated Alterran's direction before replying, "Let's just say Aaron was never too keen on the idea of Jason traveling with… well, me, actually."

"Let's say he _hated_ the idea!" Jason countered fiercely. "And the fact that we were both nearly killed in that row with the Master when you first turned up didn't help matters either. Somehow he got it into his head that I was too young to make a proper decision."

"Well, it might've helped if you hadn't chosen to take on the appearance of an eighteen year old," the Doctor retorted. "How old were you then? About seventy-five?"

_This was a new wrinkle_, thought Tegan. There was a great deal more to all this than either of them had been letting on. No wonder the Doctor had been so reluctant to accept the King's seemingly gracious invitation, _seemingly_ being the operative word.

Jason rounded angrily on the Doctor. "You know perfectly well I'd just reached my first century! And just who are _you_ to be talking about appearances? You—" He broke off, suddenly realizing how silly he was being. He wasn't angry with the Doctor. Not really. He was angry with his father.

In an apologetic tone, he said, "You're probably right, Doctor. I'm…sorry. I shouldn't be yelling at you."

"That's alright, my friend. You've been away a very long time. It's just nerves, I expect."

The Prince gave him a wry smile. _Why—__**Oh, why!**__**—**__did he always have to be right?_ It was nerves. A terrible case of the jitters that was growing worse and worse as the time rotor slowed down. Finally it came to a halt, nestling down in to the center of the console as the TARDIS materialized.

Closing his eyes, Jason drew a deep breath, his anxieties seeming to evaporate as he let it out again. He was home. Suddenly he felt like a condemned man whose death sentence had been commuted, which was closer to the truth than he cared to admit. His reverie was broken when the Doctor activated the scanner and he stared at the image on the viewer in disbelief.

The TARDIS had materialized at the edge of a lawn not far from an elegant mansion. A balcony ran the full length of the second floor, an exterior stairway leading to the ground at the end nearest the TARDIS. The building was set on a hillside overlooking a sparkling blue ocean and beach of unusual black sand.

The Doctor groaned inwardly. He knew things had been going too well and quickly rechecked the coordinates, only to be puzzled further when he saw them to be the ones transmitted with the King's invitation. He looked back at the viewer, completely baffled. _This can't be right_. _The Royal Palace is in the heart of Krystos._

"I don't believe it," Jason breathed, finding his voice at last.

The Doctor began steeling himself for the onslaught to follow, being certain he had somehow managed to get them to the wrong place, possibly even the wrong time zone. "Oh, no," he moaned under this breath, "I've done it again."

To the Doctor's amazement, the onslaught never came. Jason suddenly pulled the door lever and vanished through the double doors.


	3. 17 Arrival

**Chapter 17**

**Arrival**

After exchanging a mystified look with his companions, the Doctor followed Jason outside, finding him standing motionless atop a sand dune, entranced by the gentle waves lapping up onto the beach below.

"You seem surprised to be here," the Doctor observed, voicing his own feelings as he came to stand behind his friend.

"Yes, very," Jason confirmed dreamily. "To be here. After all this time. I just can't believe it. After reading that message, I thought—" Pausing a moment, he threw a quick glance back at the building. "But no official business is ever conducted here. Well…except in an emergency. And that's almost never."

"Jason, you're babbling," the relieved Time Lord said admonishingly. "Anyway, I think we get the general idea."

The Alterran did not seem to take any notice as he continued to bubble like a bottle of uncorked champagne, recalling how he had first met the Doctor no more than a few miles away on his family's estate.

"This is all very interesting," Turlough broke in pointedly. "But where are we _now?_" All this enthusiasm was all well and good, but they couldn't hang about on the beach all day.

"Sorry. I guess I got a little carried away," Jason said, blushing yet again. "We're at YonSharoon Palace. It's…sort of a Royal retreat. I never dreamed we'd be coming here, of all places. Back to the sea…" He returned his gaze to the waves, adding, "You have no idea how much I wanted to leave that ghastly Institute. Carna's such a desolate, barren rock of a planet."

Turlough smiled to himself. He had every idea how he felt. Jason had just echoed his own feelings about Earth and the English Public School from which he had fled. They had more in common than he realized, and he added this to the growing list of things he liked about the Alterran Prince.

"The YonSharoon Palace?" the Doctor muttered thoughtfully. "The Palace at the Place of Joining?" he then translated, turning to Jason who was clearly impressed. "I see your father still has a sense of humor, at any rate."

"The Honeymoon Palace is probably a better name for it," Jason replied with a wry smile. "More of the _arrangements_ I expect. Oh, who cares! I'm just happy to be home. I'll worry about all that when the time comes."

A small party of Palace Guards suddenly appeared in the distance, having been dispatched to remove the trespassers from the back lawn. The Prince had been blocked from view by the others and it was Tegan who first noticed them approaching. "We've got company," she said warningly. "And _they_ don't look happy."

Seeing what she meant, Jason stepped forward, bringing the guards to an immediate halt. "Our escort, I should think," he said softly. He ran his fingers through his hair and a small gold circlet appeared, sparkling brightly amid his tangle of black curls. "Might as well look official."

One of the guards came forward and exchanged a formal greeting before turning to escort the group to the Palace.

"They all look human," Tegan remarked quietly to the Doctor.

Jason smiled, readily understanding her bewilderment. "We never appear in our true form openly, Tegan," he explained.

"But…this is your own planet," the puzzled woman replied.

"Yes, with lots of alien visitors," the Alterran reminded. "Too many races find us…well, terrifying, to say the least. If you didn't know me, I dare say you'd find my true appearance frightening, wouldn't you? That's why we only reveal ourselves privately to members of our own race." Jason caught the Doctor's eye and smiled. "With a few exceptions, of course."

"Of course," Tegan replied, giving the Prince a look he also understood. He knew she was recalling how he had returned to his true form and tried to kill the Master at the Institute.

They had all agreed to keep the incident between themselves, sparing his family undo heartache. It did not, however, spare Jason from a scathing reprimand from the Doctor. Tegan had been surprised when the Alterran received the rebuke meekly, without comment or attempted justification. She was even more surprised when he showed no signs of animosity towards his Time Lord friend afterwards. She did not realize until later that this was her first glimpse into the unusual bond between the incredibly powerful alien beings.

Tegan then reflected on the very alien being that was the real Prince Jason. At least the Doctor appeared human, but _him! _The reality of the Alterran's true form was unsettling to say the least. The unassuming young man walking blithely ahead of her was, in truth, an extraordinary creature possessing almost invincible powers. Why did his people hide within a weak, vulnerable human form? Was it the only way he could keep his powers in check?

* * *

Upon entering the Palace, Jason was informed that his father had been delayed in the city and would be joining them later. Several servants were waiting to escort the Doctor, Tegan and Turlough to their rooms.

While his guests were settling in, Jason seized the opportunity to excuse himself to dictate his official report on the near catastrophe on Carna.

* * *

After prowling the lavish suite of rooms that had been prepared for him, the Doctor stepped out onto the balcony. A cool sea breeze blew across his face as he took in the view and he found himself relaxing almost in spite of himself.

"Doctor, this place is amazing!" Tegan squealed as she came out of her room to join him.

The Doctor turned slowly. His companion had changed from the dark outfit she had been wearing into a white sundress with a colorful embroidered skirt. "What _are_ you wearing?" he asked amusedly.

"It was in my room. There's a whole wardrobe to choose from. And they're all my size!" Tegan smiled brightly upon receiving an approving look and turned in place.

"An appropriate choice on a day such as this. Not unlike a summer's day in…early August. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Not where I come from."

Catching her eye, the Doctor smiled. "Quite." It had slipped his mind that she had been raised in Australia where the seasons were reversed to those of England where he had spent most of his time during his five year exile on Earth.

"A very restful setting, though," the Time Lord continued. "This planet is very aptly named Tel-Shye. Roughly translated, it means tranquility."

"You're showing off again, Doctor," Turlough observed as he came out to join them.

The Doctor gave him a look of complete innocence. "Am I?"

Tegan tried to give him a disapproving look, but could not manage to keep a straight face. "Oh, you're impossible!"

Noting her relaxed manner, the Doctor was pleased to see some of the tranquility of their surroundings had already rubbed off on his strong willed, and ofttimes lamenting, companion.

Their present peace of mind was destined to be short lived, however, as their arrival had already been observed and unseen forces were at work setting up the chain of events that would, once triggered, eventually cause the Doctor's companions to question the sanity of those around them—and even themselves.

* * *

The King returned while Jason was working on his lengthy report and sent word that he was ready to receive his guests. The Prince gratefully stopped his dictation and made his way through the corridors to collect his friends. A servant stopped him as he was about to climb the main staircase, giving him a note bidding him come to a nearby sitting room. The note was unsigned, and pressing as to its origins proved fruitless.

Intrigued, Jason went to the sitting room, finding a woman gazing out a window with her back to the door. "Excuse me. Are you the author of this note?" he asked politely, his mouth dropping open when she turned to face him. "Shadra! What on earth are _you_ doing here?"

"Ja—your Royal highness," the Baroness said demurely. She bowed low as the Prince entered, puzzling him all the more. Whenever they were alone, she was never this formal. Come to that, even in public she was never this formal.

With a nervous smile on her face, Shadra said, "I'm here to give you the specifics on the arrangements your father mentioned in his message."


	4. 18 Arrangements

**Chapter 18**

**Arrangements**

The Doctor was seated on the balcony reading one of a vast number of books he had discovered in his suite. He had noticed the selections were not confined to any specific subject and were in several different languages, all of which he was fluent in. It was obvious Jason had had a hand in the preparations of each room and the Time Lord made a mental note to compliment him on his thoroughness.

Tegan and Turlough were lounging in the sun a few metres away, blissfully taking in the view. After making plans for a swim later on and remarked on how nice it was to finally be in a place where they were welcomed with open arms. It made such a pleasant change from running for their lives.

The Doctor threw the pair a dark look over the top of his half-frame eyeglasses. He was spared further baitings when Jason came exuberantly up the exterior stairway. "Are you all ready for your official audience?" he asked. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Tegan and Turlough stiffen slightly.

The Doctor looked up, putting his book aside and pocketing his glasses. "I'm looking forward to it," he said cheerily as he rose to his feet, oblivious to the uneasiness of his companions.

"I'm glad someone is," Tegan muttered darkly.

"Don't tell me you're afraid after what we've just been through?" the Prince laughed. Tegan responded with a weak smile.

"Brave heart, Tegan," the Doctor said, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You've nothing to fear from Aaron. Has she, Jason?"

"Good Lord, no!" Jason replied. "To tell you the truth, I think he'd much rather be in private practice again."

"And you wouldn't, I take it?" the Doctor grinned.

Jason caught his eye and grinned back, choosing not to respond directly. "Come on, we'd best not keep him waiting." He turned to lead the way only to stop short and spin around. "Oh! Doctor, do you remember my mentioning Shadra to you?"

The Time Lord heaved a theatrical sigh and rolled his eyes heavenward. "I seem to recall a few hundred instances, yes. Why?"

"Because she's here. At the Palace. And you've just got to meet her. All of you!"

* * *

As Jason was collecting his guests, King Aaron went to his private drawing room. It was large and airy with a veranda just outside a set of French doors that were currently standing open to let in the ocean breeze. The King took a seat in a large armchair near the center of the room, preferring it to the ornate throne-like affair standing against the far wall. He glanced over at it and winced. Like so many of the Royal trappings, it was so ridiculously pretentious. If only he'd been able to stay in private practice.

Aaron thought back fondly on the years he and Jason had practiced medicine together. It wasn't until his son left with the Doctor that he realized how gifted the boy truly was, or how much he had come to rely on him.

Jason had only grudgingly parted company with the eccentric Time Lord after his father pleaded with him to return for what seemed the hundredth time. _He wasn't getting any younger, you know?_ But they weren't in practice any longer, and as King, Aaron was surrounded by dozens of people all too willing to care for his every need. Relieved of this burden, would Jason feel there was nothing to stop him from resuming his travels with the Doctor?

The Doctor. Just the thought of him caused Aaron to sigh heavily. He was another matter entirely. They had never gotten on well. The Time Lord's gift at turning an argument to his own advantage had always irritated the one time Healer. Now he was back, and probably ready to defend whatever position he had taken on this matter. Could he possibly be persuaded to leave Jason with his peo ple without creating an incident? Then again, could Jason?

"Oh, Jason," Aaron moaned. "Why must you always be so contrary? So difficult? So…so… like your mother." His mother. How he longed to have her by his side. With a wistful smile, he said, "Oh, Lee, if you could see our boy now. You'd be so proud."

Jason came bursting into the room at that moment breaking into his father's melancholy thoughts. He had his arms outstretched and an enormous smile on his face. "Father! This is the best surprise you've ever pulled off!" Embracing his father warmly, he went on excitedly, "I was sure we'd materialize in the main throne room. I couldn't believe it when I saw the ocean."

Receiving a glowing smile in return, Jason turned to make his official introductions. Using his most regal of tones, he said, "May it please your Royal Majesty, it is my pleasure and my honor to present to you Miss Tegan Jovanka." Tegan gave her best curtsy. "Turlough." Turlough bowed a little uncomfortably. "And, of course, you remember the Doctor."

The Doctor bowed in grand style before coming forward. "Does this mean I shall have to call you your Majesty?" he asked with a smile. "Or do you still prefer Aaron?"

The King looked from his son to the Doctor and back again. _The Doctor? This insolent young _…_person?_ "Is this some kind of joke?" he snapped angrily, causing the Time Lord to stop short and wonder if his question had been out of line.

"No, Father," Jason replied, mystified by his father's sudden ill temper.

Looking from father to son, the Doctor suddenly realized the cause of the King's confusion. "Jason, did you, by any chance, forget to inform you father that I've regenerated since our last meeting?" The stunned expression on the Prince's face was confirmation enough that he had not.

The extremely awkward situation was abruptly defused by the arrival of Lady Tostine. Jason put on a smile that would have shamed the Cheshire cat when she entered. "I must apologize for my late arrival, your Majesty," Shadra cooed as she gracefully approached the King. "I was unavoidably detained."

"That's quite all right, my child," the monarch replied, greatly relieved by her timely arrival. Introductions were made and then Aaron led his guests out onto the veranda where lunch was already waiting.

* * *

In the receiving area of the Palace, another disaster was in the process of being rectified. The transmat had shorted out for no apparent reason.

"This is all I need my first week in charge," groaned the officer on duty.

"Don't worry, Baylore, she's all fixed now," replied the technician extracting himself from beneath the main con trol desk. "What I don't understand is, why she went wrong. There aren't any old units being put back into operation are there?"

"None that I'm aware of. Hang on a minute and I'll check the log." Baylore brought up the screen on the computer, running down that week's entries. "No, nothing here, either. Why?"

"Well, the last time this happened, it was caused by dust contamination when an old unit wasn't cleaned properly before being reactivated." Closing the panel from which he had emerged, the technician stood up. "Well, whatever it was, she's all fixed up and ready to go."

"Thanks, Rhys, you're a lifesaver," Baylore said gratefully as the systems came back on line.

"No, I leave the lifesaving to you guys in uniform," Rhys chuckled as he collected his toolbox. With a quick glance over the instruments, he left the room, heading for his next repair.

Baylore watched him go, shaking his head and turning back to the control desk. "What in the world made you short out?"

* * *

In a short period of time, everyone on the veranda was relaxed and enjoying themselves. The Doctor had been relating some of the adventures he and his companions had shared, paying Jason back a little for his indiscretions by revealing some of their own history, not all of which was favorable to the blushing Alterran Prince.

When the gathering started winding down, Aaron took on a secretive tone and glanced around as if to make certain they would not be overheard. "Since we're all friends here, I believe it wouldn't be improper of me to let you all in on a little secret." He smiled over at Jason who, in turn, exchanged a knowing glance with Shadra.

"Do I sense a conspiracy?" the Doctor asked amusedly.

The King went on, "You're probably not aware of the fact that it's traditional for the marriage of the heir to the throne of Tel-Shye to be arranged by his, or her, own family."

Once again Jason blushed. Recalling his outburst in the TARDIS, he covered his face with his hands as all eyes turned his way.

"This, however, will not be possible," Aaron said sadly, "as it seems my dear son has already made his own arrangements in the form of an oath that was sworn many years ago. And, as you know, Jason's word is his bond."

The Doctor was completely baffled. "Meaning…?"

"Meaning, in a short time, the official announcement will be released proclaiming the engagement of Crown Prince Jason to Shadra, the Baroness Tostine."


	5. 19 Seperate Excursions

**Chapter 19**

**Separate Excursions**

Much to the Doctor's surprise and delight, Tegan and Shadra took to one another immediately and he selfishly wondered how he could make it last. He had not heard a single complaint from his usually argumentative, ofttimes lamenting companion since their arrival. Even the restless Turlough seemed more at ease. As for himself, however, being in one place for too long always made him uneasy. They had spent nearly a month at the Institute, and would be on Tel-Shye even longer. While this was not unpleasant unto itself, for the Doctor it was…well, boring.

After going through most of the Palace's extensive library, the Doctor felt he needed a change and started to explore, after all he'd only been through a small portion of the massive building since his arrival. With no particular direction in mind, he wandered aimlessly through the halls, examining architecture, artwork and anything else that struck his fancy. He reflected abstractly on how unusual it was for him to able to move around a building of this type completely unaccosted.

Jason swept around a corner and stopped dead in his tracks, startled to find the Doctor so far from the library where he had been spending his mornings. An amused smile came to his face when the Time Lord looked up at him, his half-frame glasses perched on the end of his nose. They were the only hint to the true chronological age of the youthful face.

"Good morning, Doctor," the Prince said brightly.

Catching the amused look the Doctor returned the smile. "For small detail," he explained, quickly pocketing the glasses. His friend found it impossible to keep a straight face to give the impression of believing him.

"You seem to be bearing up well," the Doctor observed suddenly.

Jason was thrown by this sudden non sequitur. "Bearing up well?"

"Yes. As I recall, you weren't too thrilled with the prospect of your father—How did you put it?—fixing you up to get married? From what I understand, the 'oath' he referred to is the Alterran equivalent to carving one's initials on a tree."

"Oh, that!" Jason coughed, a little embarrassed. "That was Shadra's doing actually. She mentioned it to Father when he approached her about all this and, well…"

"I see. A private joke?"

The Prince gave him a wry smile. "You might say the joke was on me. She thought I didn't love her anymore, and I thought the same thing about her." Shaking his head, he said, "You know she's turned down some pretty influential people to stay on as Father's social secretary. I could never figure out why she'd want to stay on Tel-Shye instead of advancing her career on Alterrous. Now I find it's because of me! The silly female. Why would she settle for me?"

The Doctor looked thoughtfully at his young friend. Like the King, he had been certain Jason would ask to rejoin him in his travels, and try as he might, the Doctor could not come up with a convincing argument for the Prince to stay. He kept coming back to the conclusion that it would be a case of the pot calling the kettle black, since he himself had fled Gallifrey to avoid having to serve as Lord President. Fortunately, with Shadra now in the picture, it appeared his friend was more than content to remain on his home world, which was probably for the best.

"Why would she settle for me?" Jason asked again. "I've always been nothing but trouble for her. It seems like all we do is fight with one another."

"Not unlike ourselves," the Doctor observed mildly, bringing another smile to his friend's face. "Don't sell yourself short, Jason. The lady had excellent judgment. And, I'm told, more years of experience in handling you than I have."

The Prince nodded. That she did.

"From what I've seen so far," the Doctor went on, "the two of you compliment each other. You have all that driving energy, and she's so reservedly diplomatic."

Jason responded with an amused grunt. "You mean she'll be able to smooth things over when I start making trouble." The Doctor gave him a disapproving look. "Well, it can get pretty dull here, Doctor! All that peace and tranquility. Why do you think I left with you in the first place?"

* * *

Lady Tostine had refused to allow anyone else to make the arrangements for her engagement party. She had planned dozens of such events and insisted on doing it herself. It was not until she actually started that she realized how nervous she was about planning a major event in which she was the central of attention.

Tegan was amazed at the size of the staff Shadra had called in to assist her in just the initial preparations for this august event. She was doubly amazed when asked if would she help as well, having as sumed she would just be in the way.

After days of sorting through lists, menus, floral designs, and invitations, Shadra announced that they needed a break and abruptly dismissed her staff for the day. She and Tegan were just on their way out when Turlough came across them in the main entry hall.

"Where are you two off to?" he asked.

"We decided to take the day off and do a little shopping on our own," Tegan replied happily.

"Again? You've been out every day this week." Turlough could not understand this compulsion for, what he considered, frivolous purchases. He and Jason had gone along on one of these little jaunts and had been bored to tears, although the Doctor seemed to enjoy himself. Jason had remarked that this was only because the Time Lord was in Never-Never land most of the time anyway, too curious about everything to ever possibly get bored. Turlough had found the description amusingly accurate.

"D'you know where the Doctor is?" he asked. "I haven't seen him all morning."

"In the library. Where else?" Tegan replied. "I think he's trying to read every book in there."

"I've already tried there. No luck."

"Well, you know the Doctor. He's probably off exploring or something. We'll be back after lunch," Tegan called as she and Shadra breezed out the door.

A dejected Turlough watched them go. Tegan was probably right. The Doctor was off indulging his insatiable curiosity while he was stuck as odd man out. "I might as well go to the beach," he muttered. "Everyone else is off doing something."

* * *

The Doctor wandered into a room and stopped short, looking around in bewilderment. _A courtroom? Why would they need a courtroom in a building where no official business is ever conducted?_ he wondered.

He looked up just in time to see Turlough walk by outside on his way to the beach. "A stroll in the sea air might not be a bad idea," he said to the empty room.

* * *

"Turlough!"

Turning, Turlough was delighted to see the Doctor heading his way.

"D'you mind if I join you?" the Time Lord asked as soon as he was in speaking distance.

"No, not at all," his companion replied, trying not to sound as overjoyed as he felt. "I'm glad of the company, actually. Tegan and Shadra have gone off on another excursion, and Jason—" With a sigh, he said, "He's gone, too."

"I thought you two were going sailing today."

"We were. But he got called into the city at the last minute. It seems his report about what happened at the Institute didn't go over too well when it was submitted officially."

"I can't imagine why," the Doctor grinned.

His companion ignored the remark, being too depressed to be amused. "I offered to go along. Y'know, as sort of, backup."

"No go, eh?"

Shaking his head, the young man heaved a heavy sigh and turned his gaze mournfully out to sea. It was such a perfect day for sailing.

Following his gaze, the Doctor asked gently, "Feeling a little left out?" In spite of Turlough's independent bluster, the Doctor suspected he desperately wanted to belong somewhere. It was a feeling he could appreciate only too well.

"Oh, come on, Turlough," the Time Lord enthused. "There's supposed to be an interesting cave somewhere along here, and I never did get the chance to look for it the last time I was hereabouts." The Doctor indicated the cliff rising from the beach ahead of them and blithely led the way, his companion trudging silently behind.

Among the rocks at the base of the cliff, a figure quickly ducked out of sight, watching from the security of the shadows as the Doctor and his companion entered a cave. Pausing a moment to make certain they would not reemerge, the watcher slowly crept towards the entrance.


	6. 20 Exploring

**Chapter 20**

**Exploring**

Turlough noticed that the Doctor seemed disappointed with what they found in the seemingly endless tunnel system. The caves were illuminated by a strange sort of natural phosphorescence, which the Doctor had dismissed as being "nothing out of the ordinary." Apparently he had been expecting something a little more, well, out of the ordinary.

Eventually Turlough sat down on a boulder while the Time Lord explored further. After several minutes, his mind started to wander. "Doctor, have you ever wondered—?" The instant the Doctor looked up Turlough realized what a stupid question he was about to ask and broke off.

"Have I ever wondered what?" the Doctor asked.

"Never mind. Silly question."

The Doctor gave him a dark look. As his companion had surmised, he was more than a little disappointed. He had read about a cave of unparalleled beauty near the Palace of Joining and had even seen references to it in the Tel-Shyen legends he had encountered in the library. He was hoping it was more than a myth. Now it seemed this was not to be, and his companion's dangling question only added to his annoyance.

"_What_ is a silly question?" he asked irritably

"Well…" Turlough began self-consciously. "I was going to ask if you'd ever wondered what it would be like to change your appearance like the Alterrans."

The Doctor blinked. Then he chuckled, finally having to turn away in an unsuccessful attempt to conceal the fact that he was laughing.

"I told you it was a silly question!" Turlough exploded, thinking it was quite possibly the dumbest thing he had ever asked. Here he was asking someone who could regenerate if he wondered what it would be like to alter his appearance.

"I'm sorry, Turlough," the Doctor grinned. "I'm not laughing at you." His companion looked less than convinced. "As a matter of fact, I _have_ wondered what it would be like. I've only a limited number of regenerations, you know. And watching Jason shift from one form to another in the blink of an eye has always been rather fascinating."

Turlough smiled halfheartedly, hiding his embarrassment with the suggestion that they return to the mansion for some lunch, or at least something cold to drink. With any luck Jason would be back soon.

* * *

Tegan and Shadra's excursion had proved far from disappointing. They were given the Royal treatment wherever they went and Tegan reflected on how nice it was to be surrounded by such friendly people. It was a welcome change from armed guards snarling out death threats.

As they were preparing to return to the Palace, Tegan suddenly realized that she had never thanked the Doctor for giving in to her pleas and accepting the King's invitation. Now that she knew of their touchy relationship, she made a mental note to thank him the moment she returned.

* * *

As he exited the caves, the Doctor spotted an unusual formation of crystals near the entrance and went over to examine them. He wondered why he hadn't noticed them before and knelt down to get a better look, only to have his companions pull impatiently at his sleeve.

"Come on, Doctor. We've seen enough rocks today."

"Hmm? Oh, you go on ahead," the Doctor said absently, not taking his eyes from the glittering stones. "I'll catch you up."

Turlough sighed heavily, resigning himself to the fact that he was on his own again. Turning, he started plodding his way back up the beach.

A moment later an old man appeared. He was hunched over with age, his white hair and beard only accentuating his antiquated appearance. He had watched the pair emerge from the cave and only came out of hiding when the Doctor was alone, ambling over to where the Time Lord knelt before the crystals. "Good day to you, sir," he said urbanely. "Are you a spelunker, by chance?"

"Of a sort," came the vague reply.

"So? You've seen the Crystal Cavern, then?"

Intrigued, the Doctor finally looked up. "Crystal Cavern?"

"At the end of the path," the old man said, pointing to a footpath at the base of the cliff. "There's a round stone door that moves easily to the touch." With a smile, he added tantalizingly, "The Cavern is most beautiful."

Rising to his feet, the Doctor looked up to see his companion trudging up the lawn to the Palace. He thanked his unusual guide and then set off in the direction indicated. Surely Turlough wouldn't mind if he took a quick peek.

* * *

Within minutes the Doctor found himself in a large cavern exactly as the old man had described. The floor was intricately inlaid with a spectacular sunburst that was flanked on either side by a circular half-moon. The black polished stonewalls glistened with thousands of crystals that bathed the vast silent chamber in a rich multicolored glow.

Momentarily overcome by the Cavern's exquisite beauty, the Doctor stood at the entrance in awe. "Breathtaking," he whispered. This was the place he had been searching for. He stepped slowly and reverently inside, feeling as if quick movements might upset the Cavern's almost tangible serenity.

Gazing up at the hundreds of crystals as he crossed the room, the Doctor stepped onto one of the circular half-moons and it immediately rose half a metre out of the floor. Before he had the chance to absorb this curious phenomenon, a shaft of white light streaked down from directly overhead, holding him in its midst and rooting him to the spot.

The Doctor immediately decided that panicking would not only be pointless, but also counter-productive. He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath in order to clear his mind and steady himself. It was then that he heard a familiar mocking laugh coming from the shadows in the far corner and cursed himself for having let his curiosity get the better of him. If he'd had his wits about him, he would have suspected the appearance of the mysterious crystals and the peculiar guide as being just a little too convenient.

"You're so easily led, Doctor," the Master needled as he stepped from the shadows to face his immobilized adversary. "Like a lamb to the slaughter."


	7. 21 KaRoonTar

**Chapter 21**

**KaRoon-Tar**

Although unable to move, the Doctor found he could still speak. "What? Kill me outright? Not really your style, is it?"

"Perhaps…" the Master purred evasively. "Although, I do find your present predicament most enjoyable."

"You would," came the caustic reply. "A variation on a theme?"

"Ah! You, of course, would be referring to the transference chamber your Alterran friend managed to destroy so completely," the Master replied, controlling his anger with visible effort. "The young Prince will find it difficult to oppose me now. In fact, I'd say he'll find it quite impossible."

The Doctor did not like the sound of this statement or the ominous implications it held for Jason.

"It may interest you to know," his rival went on, "that Professor Turner kept some very impressive notes concerning his experiments. I took the liberty of removing them before my final departure from the Institute."

"All in the interest of scientific research, no doubt," the Doctor said sarcastically.

The Master ignored the barbed comment. "The Professor made some intriguing references to the research done on this very planet." Ever the showman, he crossed to the wall directly in front of the Doctor, opening a panel with a flourish and removing orange-sized crystals from a fitted case. Each crystal throbbed with power as the Master carefully inserted them into sockets in a sunburst pattern similar to the one on the floor.

The Doctor instantly recognized the technology, having seen something similar many years before. The crystals were more than decorative. They were actually control circuits that were an integral part of a specialized control console. But controlling what? And why?

By now, the Doctor's mind was racing. He had thought all of the notes on Professor Turner's research had been destroyed. After all, he'd personally overseen the operation. But if the Professor had put everything in writing, and the Master had gotten hold of it, then he would be able to recreate the project, including the transference unit. But if the writings were only reference notes, which seemed more likely, then it was possible the renegade Time Lord was attempting to reconstruct the project from scratch, starting with the research from Tel-Shye.

"What kind of research?" the Doctor asked finally.

The Master turned to face him. "Why…genetic engineering, of course. The Alterrans may prohibit it now, but their past research remains intact." Pausing for affect, he added, "_That_—and other things…"

The Doctor sighed heavily, knowing he would have to play along if he were ever going to get any answers. "Other things?"

"They have some closely guarded secrets, these Alterrans. Information available to only their closest of allies."

"The Time Lords, you mean."

"The very same."

"So that's how Professor Turner was able to complete everything so quickly. You stole the information from Gallifrey!"

"You're getting old, Doctor. You should've figured that one out long before now," the Master chided. He spread out his arms to take in the enormous cavern surrounding them. "This room in which we stand also holds many secrets. None the least of which is something called, KaRoon-Tar."

The Doctor frowned. "KaRoon-Tar? Mind-Binding?"

"You know the ancient tongue, Doctor. Now I _am_ impressed," his rival crooned in a rare compliment. "Yes, mind-bonding. The process has an interesting effect on those of us they call _outsiders_." So saying, the Master thrust the last crystal into the center of the console and touched a number of switches before crossing to the twin of the half-moon that held the Doctor immobile. The circular platform rose out of the floor and then he, too, was engulfed in a beam of white light.

"When next we meet, Doctor, I believe you'll find me a changed man," the Master said enigmatically.

* * *

Tegan and Shadra returned to the Palace to find Turlough sipping a cold drink and brooding under a dark cloud. He had returned himself quite some time ago, but the Doctor was still nowhere to be seen.

In all likelihood the Time Lord had wandered off yet again, Turlough thought sullenly. It wasn't that he minded being at the Palace. It was just that he was starting to get restless. Well, bored actually. He found himself yearning for the excitement that always seemed to follow in the Doctor's wake.

Turlough had no way of knowing that he was about to get his wish. In a very short time he would find himself embroiled in one of the most bizarre events of his life.

* * *

A hum of power had filled the Crystal Cavern. The Doctor started to feel as if a great weight were pressed down on his chest, making it difficult to breathe. And if that weren't bad enough, a strange force was clawing savagely at his mind. _Which to concentrate on first_, he wondered almost hysterically.

As the power continued to build, the shafts of light slowly began changing color, going from white to red.

Feeling the increase in power, the Doctor redoubled his efforts to resist the unrelenting forces clawing at him. Even though he was a Time Lord, he was not immune to fatigue and eventually his resistance grew weaker and weaker. Finally, like a giant rubber band pulled taut and then snapping from the strain, the Doctor felt his mind being wrenched from his body. He was aware of, rather than felt, a flood of emotions washing over him: anger, hatred, contempt, and dominating them all—pure evil. Then, mercifully, there was only blackness.

The shafts of light transfixing the enemy Time Lords continued to change color, going from a nearly blinding white radiance to a dark, blood red hue. The moment the Doctor felt his mind wrenched away, an alarm sounded on the control panel, the crystals flashing in a wild frenzy. The beams of light flickered a moment and then abruptly went out, releasing their captives who dropped to the floor like puppets whose strings had been cut.

The crystals encrusting the walls joined those in the console in a spectacular display of wildly flashing lights. The alarm cut out automatically, ending the light show that had gone unobserved by the motionless occupants of the raised platforms.

The Master was the first to regain consciousness. He sat up slowly and looked hesitantly down at himself, a smile of evil satisfaction coming to his face. Rising to his feet, he crossed to the polished stonewall and looked at his reflection. The face of the Doctor looked back. A low chuckle rumbled forth. The process had worked. He had exchanged places with the Doctor.

The Master crossed to the motionless form on the opposite platform, checking him over and giving a satisfied grunt when he found the weak, steady pulse. The sudden and violent mental attack had tripped a defense mechanism and had cause the Doctor to mentally retreat. It would render him unconscious for a short time. The Master's plan required a much longer interval, however.

He went to the control console and retrieved a syringe, injecting a powerful drug into the body he had just vacated. That would keep his rival out of the way while he set the rest of his scheme into motion, he thought smugly. He returned the syringe to the drawer, exchanging it for the weapon that had become his hallmark—the Tissue Compression Eliminator. Slipping the TCE into a pocket, the Master strode arrogantly to the door.


	8. 22 After Effects

**Chapter 22**

**After Effects**

The search was on.

Turlough had stopped brooding and started worrying. The girls had returned ages ago, and there was _still_ no sign of the Doctor. Before alerting security with what might very well turn out to be a false alarm, he decided to go look for the wandering Time Lord himself. Tegan joined him while Shadra stayed behind on the off chance the Doctor returned on his own.

"The last time I saw him," Turlough was saying as he walked purposefully up the beach, "was when we came out of those caves over there. He said he'd catch up later."

They looked around at the cave entrance, finding, to their dismay, that the incoming tide had washed away any footprints that would have indicated the Doctor's movements. A quick look in the tunnel system turned up nothing, and their only reward when they called out was the echo of their own voices.

"You don't suppose he went along the cliff, do you?" Tegan suggested helpfully.

Turlough shrugged. He didn't know what to think and was kicking himself for having left the Doctor in the first place. Tegan's suggestion seemed logical enough, although logic wasn't usually something one relied on when it came to figuring out the Doctor.

* * *

Not far away, the Master was strolling casually along the footpath leading back to the beach, blissfully unaware of the close proximity of the Doctor's companions. He was unaware of everything save his own grand plans.

_Nothing could go wrong now_, he thought gleefully. _Nothing...noth..._

The Master suddenly felt weak and dizzy and stopped walking, wavering unsteadily on his feet. He put a hand on a large boulder to steady himself, his other hand going to his head. He had been holding off the after effects of the process held off purely as an act of will. But the Doctor's will was also strong. He had struggled fiercely against the power exerted against him in the exchange, and his body had not, as yet, recovered its strength.

After staggering a few steps more, the Master collapsed to the ground.

* * *

Tegan and Turlough were slowly making their way along the rough footpath among the rocks. They rounded a bend in the trail and came upon the crumpled cream-colored form that only moments before had crumpled to the ground.

"Doctor!" Tegan shrieked, dashing over to him. With immense relief, she found the steady double pulse and heard the labored, yet regular breathing of the unconscious Time Lord. "He's alive," she informed as Turlough knelt down beside her.

"We'd better not move him," he said gravely. "You stay here, I'll get some help." So saying, the young man sprinted back towards the beach.

Tegan watched him go, waiting until he was out of sight before returning her attention to the motionless figure who was no longer the Time Lord she had grown to admire. Inhabiting the body she nursed so carefully was the Master. The man she hated above all others.

The Master opened his eyes to find himself lying on the bed in the Doctor's suite. Puzzled, he looked fuzzily around at his surroundings. Tegan came rushing over to the bedside and started firing questions at him. He stared wonderingly at her. It wasn't until she called him by the Doctor's name that he remembered what had happened, and who he was supposed to be.

"For pity sake, Tegan, give him a chance to answer," Turlough admonished as he came up alongside her. "What happened, Doctor?" he then asked.

"I don't know, really," the bogus Doctor replied weakly. "How long have I been like this?"

"We found you about an hour ago, but you've been missing all afternoon. You don't remember anything?"

The Master paused to give the appearance of deep concentration before shaking his head. "It's all a blank. The last thing I remember...I was walking through those rocks at the base of the cliff. I remember seeing you go inside the Palace, and then— Then I was here."

King Aaron appeared on the other side of the bed as the pretender spoke. "I couldn't find any physical trauma that would account for this, Doctor," he informed soberly. "But there seems to be all the indications of a psychic attack of considerable proportions."

The Master looked questioningly at the Alterran monarch, wondering if he suspected something or was simply making an educated guess.

Aaron misinterpreted the look as skepticism "I _was_ a Healer long before I was King, Doctor," he said indignantly. He had, in fact, once saved the Doctor's life.

"Yes, yes," the impostor soothed. "I wasn't questioning your qualifications, my dear Aaron. It's your diagnosis that puzzles me."

Aaron's expression did not change. He had an uneasy feeling that all was not as it should be. Something simply did not feel right, but he could not put his finger on what, precisely, the something was. "When Jason gets back, I'm going to have him do a complete scan on your, Doctor. Maybe then—"

"No!" the Master cried. He had momentarily forgotten about the Prince's scanning ability and was thankful the boy had been away when he was brought, unconscious, to the Palace. He had mis calculated the severity of the side effects the process induced. His having passed out among the rocks, while an added bonus to his scheme, had left him dangerously vulnerable. The last thing he wanted was for Jason to scan him, being uncertain as to what he might find. Forcing himself to remain calm, the Time Lord said, "There's no reason to go to all this trouble on my account. I'll be alright after I've rested a bit."

The Doctor's companions exchanged a skeptical look with the King. Tegan glanced over to the equally vexed Baroness, who had been standing silently at the foot of the bed the whole time.

"Are you sure?" Shadra asked gently.

"Yes, I'm quite sure."

"Alright, Doctor," the King said unconvincingly. He took a glass and carafe from a tray on the nightstand and poured what appeared to be a glass of water. "But it would ease my mind considerably if you'd drink this. It's an herbal restorative and will help you get your strength back."

The Master considered the proffered glass warily, thinking it was more likely an herbal sedative. Being familiar with the Doctor's revoltingly trusting nature, and not wanting to force his hand, he accepted the glass, grudgingly drank its contents, and then returned the empty glass to the King before lying back onto the bed.

"Thank-you," Aaron breathed gratefully. "We'll let you get some rest, now."

The Master smiled weakly, watching through half-closed eyes as everyone left the room. Then he waited, expecting to become drowsy. To his amazement, and relief, he did not become sleepy. In fact, he found his strength seemed to be swiftly returning to him and he eyed the half empty carafe with a greater respect. An excellent restorative indeed, he marveled. Now he could rest without the fear of a drugged sleep.


	9. 23 A Changed Man

**Chapter 23**

**A Changed Man**

Prince Jason was horrified by the news of what had happened during his absence. He went straight to his friend's room, finding the impostor sitting out on the balcony. "Doctor, I just heard what happened. Are you alright?" he asked as he came out the door.

The Master sighed, willing himself to remain calm. He had to keep the Alterran from scanning him at all costs. His scheme held a part for the boy, but it was much too early to expose it. He smiled weakly and tried to sound cheerful. "I'm much better, thanks. That little concoction of your father's has done me a world of good."

Jason studied the man before him in uncertainty. Having already heard his father's concerns, he had to agree, even from this cursory examination, something did not feel right about his old friend. They should be trying to keep him from charging after the cause of his own disappearance. Instead, the Doctor was extraordinarily docile in the face of so inexplicable an occurrence. His companions had not mentioned noticing anything unusual and, after all, they did know him better than anyone in this regeneration. Then again, Jason and his father had been collaborating for decades and their combined intuition was extremely accurate.

"If you're feeling up to it, Doctor, we'll be having tea on the veranda later," the Prince invited. "I know it's kind of late, but they held it up for me."

The Master smiled engagingly. "I think that's just what the doctor ordered," he replied, thinking this sounded inane enough to be a comment made by the Doctor.

Jason was suddenly serious and took a step towards the Time Lord. "Look, let's drop the small talk, Doctor. This is _me_. Can't you see—?" Before he had the chance to finish his sentence, the pretender was on his feet and moving away from him.

"Jason, I'm fine," the bogus Doctor said insistently. "Just a bit tired, that's all. All I need is a bit of rest and I'll be back to myself in no time." With that, he vanished into his room.

The Prince stood staring after him, completely thrown by the abrupt departure. He was already aware of the Time Lord's adamant refusal to be scanned, and, not wanting to upset his friend further, Jason had decided not to push the issue. But after what he'd just seen, he was having second thoughts.

* * *

Prince Jason had scarcely gotten to the bottom of the main staircase when Turlough appeared. "How's he doing?" he asked.

The Alterran threw a glance in the direction of the Doctor's room and shrugged. "Better—he says," he said unenthusiastically. "We'll see. I think he's coming down to join us in a bit."

"Good," Turlough sighed. "Now let's go tell Tegan. She's been driving me mad the whole time you've been up there. Maybe _she_, at least, will feel better."

* * *

The Master arrived on the veranda last of all, wanting to make a grand entrance. He received the warm greetings with the greatest of humility, taking a seat beside Turlough. Jason was relating the events of his visit to Krystos, telling of how his report on the encounter with the Master on Carna had been received with the greatest of skepticism. That is, until he mentioned the Doctor's involvement. After that, the report was accepted without further questions or alterations. Many of the Senate Nobles remembered the clash between the Doctor and the Master during the coronation of Aaron's predecessor, the culmination of which had left a large section of the King's residence in the Royal Palace in ruins.

The memory of this devastating defeat caused the Master to grind his teeth. _The Doctor would thwart his plans no longer,_ he thought gloatingly. Very shortly his rival would be put to death at the hands of his own friends. The irony of this caused the Master to chuckle.

Overhearing the laugh, Turlough mistakenly thought it was due to Jason's further comments. "I'm glad you're feeling better, Doctor. I can't help feeling that this is my fault. I…I never should've left you alone!" he moaned guiltily, feeling an unusual attack of conscience.

The pretender studied the repentant young man, thinking on how he had planned on killing him had he chosen to stay with the Doctor. With a placating smile, he said, "It's not your fault, Turlough. You couldn't've known anything would happen."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better."

_You must be joking!_ "Of course not," the bogus Doctor said mildly. "Now do stop fussing. I'm already beginning to feel more like my old self again." He smiled at his own private joke.

* * *

In the Crystal Cavern, the eyes of the real Doctor fluttered open, his head swimming from the joint effects of the mind-bonding process and the drug the Master had administered. He tried to rise, only to find his limbs felt as heavy as lead and his movements extremely sluggish.

"Drugged," he noted with a grunt.

Still unaware of the fact that he no longer inhabited his own body, the Doctor sat up slowly expecting to hear the Master's taunting laughter at any moment. To his surprise, the room remained hauntingly silent. He shook his head to clear it, realizing too late that this was a mistake. The room tilted at a wild angle and then started to spin out of control. He fell back to the floor, unconscious.

* * *

"Cedric tells me you wanted to see me, Doctor," Shadra cooed politely as she entered the Time Lord's room.

The impostor turned to face her with an Alterran energy gun in his hand, one of the few weapons capable of killing the members of the almost invulnerable race. Before the shocked Baroness could cry out, the Master fired and she went rigid, her eyes staring blankly into space.

The Master turned to the bedroom door beside him. "Come out," he ordered.

Cedric appeared at the door, his face just as devoid of emotion as the zombie-like noblewoman.

"It's almost time for you to play your part, Cedric," the Master grinned villainously. He turned his gaze back to the frozen Shadra, adding, "There's nothing like a little misdirection to make things interesting."

* * *

Shadra was roughly brought out of her trance to find herself in a circular enclosure being threatened and coerced by the man she thought to be the Doctor. She was confused as to why he would kidnap her, and terrified at the way he was maliciously threatening her with a deadly weapon. After forcing her to return to her true form, he went on to horrify her further by attaching wire filaments to her tendrils. By the time he finished, she was completely enmeshed in them, connected to the walls and floor of the cage-like enclosure and barely able to move.

The Master locked the door to the enclosure and then switched on an energy barrier, surrounding the metal prison with an eerie blue glow. This would inhibit Shadra's ability to transmute, trapping her inside the cage as well as making it impossible for her to escape the web.

"Please, why are you doing this?" she begged for what seemed the hundredth time, pulling in vain at the wires the pierced and entangled her flesh.

The Master stood silently before her, having said almost nothing the entire time he was connecting her into his web. He knew the grip of fear would tighten around her the longer he remained silent. As an added deterrent, he had used a free running electrical cable to inflict painful shocks whenever Shadra pulled away from him. After a few applications of cable, she eventually submitted to the undignified operation being performed on her.

Now that the horrible procedure was completed, Shadra only wanted to know the cause of the Time Lord's malicious behavior. "Doctor, please, why are you doing this?"

"I require your crystalline molecular structure to channel the power of the Crystal Cavern," came the succinct reply.

Astonished by the fact that she had finally received an answer, Shadra stopped struggling. It didn't make any sense but at least it was an answer; and the flat businesslike tone was a welcome change from the frightful snarling she had been getting. In as even a tone as she could manage, she said, "I don't understand."

"That isn't necessary at this point in time," the Master replied crisply and turned, crossing to a mas sive L-shaped computer in the corner of the room. One end of the unit began almost directly across from the enclosure, covering the wall and wrapping around the corner to continue along the far end of the room where a transmat booth stood. Shadra guessed that this was how she had been brought to…to…wherever this is. She returned her attention to her captor and the computer that looked to her as if it had been spliced together from odd parts.

The Master was busy adjusting dials and checking gauges while his captive took in her surroundings. He gave a satisfied grunt and moved back to the main control terminal. Giving the readings a quick glance, he flipped the main switch, activating his gruesome metal creation.

The same instant, Shadra shrieked as power suddenly flooded through her. Some hurried corrections stabilized the energy flow, leaving the Alterran female stunned and hanging limply in the web. The sapphire blue crystals encircling her body glowed dimly, growing brighter as she recovered from the shock.

"Please, why are you doing this?" Shadra whimpered, now very close to hysteria. "Wh…why do you hate me? Doctor, please! I don't understand!"

The Master fixed her in an icy stare. "There is but one thing you need to understand," he said coldly. "I am not the Doctor. Thanks to your people's wonderful KaRoon-Tar, I've taken possession of his body quite permanently."

"KaRoon-Tar!" Shadra gasped. "The mind-bonding? But…you're not Alterran. If you underwent the process, you'd switch places with whoever…" Her voice trailed off as the horrifying truth struck her. The evil persona standing before her was not the Doctor at all.

Hesitantly, she asked the inevitable, "Who... are you?"

"Allow me to introduce myself," her captor said with a bow. "I am the Master."


	10. 24 A Deadly New Role

**Chapter 24**

**A Deadly New Role**

The Master left the computer center by way of a hidden door that led to the Crystal Cavern. He went to the platform where his adversary still lay unconscious. After a quick examination, he administered a second injection to revive him, having no sooner returned he empty syringe to the drawer than the Doctor gave a soft moan and stirred weakly.

An evil smile parted the Master's lips. The stage was set, the props were in place, and all the players were assembled. Now it was time for the Doctor to make his entrance in the fatal starring role in which he had been cast.

Unable to contain his delight, the Master started to laugh. He turned on his heel and strode to the tunnel to the computer room. Pulling a lever on the side of the console as he passed, a panel silently slid shut behind him, leaving the Doctor on his own once more.

* * *

Upon returning to the Palace, the Master went straight to Shadra's room, emerging unobserved a moment later. He glanced at a clock and smiled. The dinner gong would be sounding at any moment. He went quickly to the main stairway, waiting until he heard voices below before beginning a slow descent. Jason and Turlough appeared just as he reached the halfway point.

"Doctor!" Jason said in surprise. "Where's Shadra?"

"Sorry?"

"Shadra. She said you wanted to see her."

"Jason, that was ages ago. I haven't seen her since she went to see her assistant off at the transmat," the pretender lied. "She said she was going to try to get a little work done before dinner. But then…I expect you've already checked her room," he added offhandedly, knowing full well the Prince had not.

Jason groaned. He could not believe he hadn't thought to look for Shadra in her own room. Thanking the impostor, he made his way to his fiancée's room.

The Master indulged Turlough's inquires about his health in order to stay where he was. The reaction he awaited came within seconds. A bloodcurdling scream resounded from the second floor.

* * *

Turlough and the bogus Doctor arrived at Shadra's room to find Jason clinging to the doorframe, ashen faced and trembling. Tegan arrived seconds later, running from her room down the hall.

Looking angrily at the man he thought to be the Doctor, Jason grabbed him by the lapels and shook him. "You should've let me kill him, Doctor!" he roared tearfully. "You should've let me kill him!"

The Master shuddered at the thought of how very close the Alterran had come to killing him once already. He was saved from having to deal with Jason by Turlough, who pulled the overwrought Prince away from the seemingly dumbfounded Time Lord.

"Jason, get hold of yourself!" the young man snapped. "What's happened?"

Unable to reply, Jason turned away. The Master entered the room, the Doctor's companions at his heels. Tegan let out a wail of despair at what they found inside. In the center of the room was what appeared to be Shadra's compressed corpse. In reality, it was Cedric whom the Master had ordered to take on Shadra's human form before killing him. He had planted the grotesque red herring only moments before.

"The Master!" gasped Turlough, knowing the grizzly calling card of the evil Time Lord all too well. "How did he get in?"

"Probably the same way he got out," said the Doctor's voice.

Turlough looked up to see the Time Lord pointing to the open exterior doors that led to the balcony and exterior stairway. Then he heard shouts from the hall behind him as the Palace Guard were summoned. Turlough turned just in time to catch Tegan as her knees suddenly gave way. Clinging to him a moment to steady herself, she fought unsuccessfully to hold back the tears. "Oh, Turlough, it's just like Auntie Venessa," she whimpered.

The Master came up beside her, doing his best compassionate Doctor imitation. "It's alright, Tegan," he purred soothingly. "He can't've gone far. I'm sure the guards will find him."

_How very reassuring_, the Master thought.

* * *

Not wanting to repeat his previous error, the Doctor (the real Doctor) had lain on the floor in the Crystal Cavern for some time after regaining consciousness. His head was still spinning and concentrating on anything for very long was next to impossible. He sat up very slowly, discovering that focusing on anything was equally impossible and therefore took no notice of the fact that his light colored cricketer's costume had been replaced and he was now elegantly clad in black velvet.

Rising painfully to his feet, the Doctor made his way to the door, wondering if his enemy had not anticipated his regaining consciousness so soon. Or was he simply going out of the frying pan and into the fire?

Pushing open, or more accurately, falling against the stone door, the Doctor saw that the sun had already gone down. The glow of twilight was swiftly fading into night; Tel-Shye's twin moons were clearly visible on the horizon. To his horror, he realized he had been lying in the Cavern all day. His companions must be frantic looking for him.

The Doctor cautiously made his way back to the beach. As he rounded a bend in the path, he saw a searchlight moving along the rock face ahead of him. He assumed, correctly, that it was searching for him and stopped, thinking it would be safer to continue once he could see where he was going. When the light fell on him, the Doctor held up a hand to shield his eyes against the glare. Before he could express his relief and gratitude, a booming voice called out from behind the searchlight. "Stop where you are! You're under arrest!"

"What?" the Doctor gasped in alarm, his brain still too muddled to take in what was happening. Why on earth would they want to arrest him? He was only lost. Well, in a manner of speaking, anyway.

The unresisting Time Lord was bundled into a transport at gunpoint and taken back to the Palace.

* * *

The Master was back on the balcony, taking in the sunset and congratulating himself on how brilliantly his plot was unfolding. Seeing the search party returning en masse, he smiled, chuckling evilly to himself as they drew closer.

"The star approaches," he observed.

Rising to his feet, he moved into the light so as to be visible from the ground. "Time to take on a new role, Doctor," he purred.

* * *

Upon arriving at the Palace, the Doctor got unsteadily out of the transport and leaned heavily against it for support. He waited quietly as the swarm of guards made their rambling report to an official looking individual. Squinting to focus, he recognized the Captain of the Palace Guard. What was his name? Devron, that was it.

The Doctor took in the scene, being more confused than ever, thinking the Palace Guards had become distinctly unfriendly. He threw a quick glance in the direction of his room, wishing they would just get on with it so he could go to bed. He was feeling extremely tired and, at first, the figure on the balcony did not register. Squinting again, he saw, to his utter astonishment, himself looking back, laughing. Closing his eyes tightly, the Doctor shook his head in an attempt to clear it, looking back to see the same image above him. His mouth dropped open and only then did he look down at himself. _These aren't my clothes, they're—!_ Putting a hand to his face, he felt the beard cut neatly to a point on his chin, confirming his worst fears. Looking up, he stared in horror at the gloating figure above him.

As the guard ushered the Doctor inside, he suddenly remembered the last thing the Master had said to him. He was indeed a changed man.


	11. 25 What've You Done?

**Chapter 25**

"**What've You Done?"**

"I don't want to calm down, Father!" Jason protested as he paced the King's private sitting room like a caged lion.

Aaron was in the process of mixing a mild sedative into some tea and was not about to take no for an answer. He threw an angry scowl in his son's direction before turning his attentions to the still shaken Tegan. "Please drink this, Miss Jovanka," he said gently, "it'll help settle your nerves."

Tegan gave him a watery smile, accepting the cup and slowly sipping the soothing mixture it contained.

"Now, _you!_" Aaron snapped in the obvious tone of a displeased parent. "Drink this." He held out the cup to his inflamed offspring, receiving an equally hostile glare in return. Jason had no intention of being sedated, no matter how weak the dosage.

"Don't worry," Turlough said quietly to the King, "I'll get him to drink it."

Aaron gave him a dubious look before surrendering the cup. He then went to the open French doors and stared out into the night. The only change from earlier that day was the armed guard stationed just outside on the veranda.

Turlough walked over to the pacing Prince, thinking a little emotional blackmail might be in order. He took him by the arm and stopped him in his tracks. "Jason, you really do need to calm down," he said quietly, receiving a fierce look in response. Undaunted, he went on. "You don't want your emotions to get the better of you—_again_—now do you?"

Jason opened his mouth to protest, only to close it again. Turlough was right, unfortunately. "No, I suppose not," he said, keeping his voice equally low. "It's just…I feel so frustrated! All this waiting, and not knowing. It's getting on my nerves."

"I think that's why you're supposed to drink this," Turlough replied, indicating the cup that was still in his hands.

Jason looked down at it and nodded resignedly. "I really prefer coffee, y'know," he muttered before finally drink ing the sedative.

* * *

The journey to the detention area had been a vague blur to the Doctor, who was still reeling from the shock of what he had seen on the balcony. Somehow, he and the Master had exchanged places. _But how? What had happened in that singular, remarkable cave?_

The Time Lord sat despondently in his square prison cell, a force field at the door effectively keeping him in. He could easily have deactivated it, if he had his indent kit. But that was in one of his coat pockets. The coat the Master now wore_. The Master! _When did he arrive on the scene? No one suspected he was anywhere near Tel-Shye that morning and by evening the entire Palace Guard was out in force looking for him. Assuming, of course, it was still the same day.

The Doctor was afraid to contemplate what might have happened while he was so neatly and conveniently out of the way. There were so many questions, and he was having a terrible time concentrating in order to find the answers. A movement at the door broke into his disconnected train of thought and he looked up, seeing himself standing in the doorway.

"I don't know how you managed this," he said as he rose to his feet, "but I'm going to do every thing in my power to reverse it!" _Well, that sounded an empty threat_, the Doctor thought, feeling as if he were talking to himself in a mirror. The image smiled sadistically back at him.

"Power?" laughed the Master. "You have no power. Even as we speak the arrangements for your ultimate demise are being set into motion." He paused to allow his adversary time to absorb this delightfully horrifying piece of news.

"What've you done?" the Doctor asked, not really wanting to know the answer. After their many centuries of opposition, he had a healthy respect for the deviousness of his rival's intellect. If the Master had set him up, which, of course, he would have done, the Doctor knew he would need every shred of information he could gather in order to plan his counterattack. The only problem at present, and that was extreme, was the fact that the effects of the drugs were robbing him of his most effective weapon. His ability to think his way out of a deadly situation.

* * *

When Jason had more or less returned to normal, he suffered a severe attack of conscience. How could he be so selfish? Thinking only of himself when it was obvious Tegan desperately needed reassurance. He was talking quietly with her when a knock came at the door and Captain Devron entered, bowing to those present. He crossed to the King and they exchanged a few words before going outside. A few minutes later, the King returned alone.

"The Master has been captured," Aaron announced. "And, as he has already been convicted of crimes against the Empire, I've ordered a formal hearing to be held immediately."

"Immediately? You mean _tonight?_" Turlough was incredulous. Things certainly moved along on this planet when they wanted them to.

"It was the Doctor's suggestion, actually," the monarch went on to explain. "Apparently he witnessed the Master's arrival and passed the suggestion along."

Tegan and Turlough exchanged a look of mutual disbelief.

"I can't say I blame him," Jason injected bitterly. "How many times has that butcher tried to kill him?"

Seeing the Prince's face darken, Tegan feared the worst and touched him on the arm. He looked down and smiled, readily understanding her concern. Patting her hand gently he whispered, "I'm still in control, don't worry."

"The Doctor needn't fear for himself any longer," the King was saying. "The Master will not escape justice a second time."

"Too right," muttered Jason, having picked up yet another idiom. He excused himself and swept from the room.

Watching him go, Tegan wondered if the Doctor had remained separated from the rest of them in order to head the Prince off when the Master was captured. But then, how could he have known they would find him? And so quickly?

Finishing the last of her second cup of tea, Tegan thought about suggesting that a vat of it be sent up to the Doctor. This sudden lust for revenge was not just surprising; it simply wasn't like him at all.

* * *

"What have you done?" the real Doctor demanded again.

"_I?"_ the Master asked innocently. "I've done nothing. But it seems the last time the Master was on this miserable little planet he was convicted of a few, shall we say, indiscretions?"

"As I recall they were some of the most reprehensible of crimes, none the least of which was the near destruction of the entire Alterran Empire."

Taking his adversary's remark as a compliment, the Master inclined his head before continuing with his litany. "Alas, before final sentence could be carried out, the cad escaped. But now that he—or should I say, _you_—have been recaptured, a formal hearing is to be held so that justice may be carried out at last."

"A hearing? When?"

"Immediately."

"Immediately?" The Doctor was as incredulous as Turlough on this point. "You mean _tonight?_ At this hour?"

"In all modesty," the Master purred, "I fear I must claim responsibility on this point. There's nothing so satisfying as the swift and sure hand of justice decisively handing down appropriate retribution."

Speechless, the Doctor stood staring open-mouthed at his sworn enemy. He was good and trapped now.


	12. 26 Oh, What A Tangled Web

**Chapter 26**

**Oh, What A Tangled Web...**

Jason suddenly swept into the detention area, his eyes burning like hot coals as he glared hatefully at the man he thought to be the Master.

The Doctor had seen his volatile Alterran friend in this state before, and that did not bode well for him in his present circumstances. Notwithstanding the force field between them, he took a cautious step back.

"Yes, you'd better keep well away from me!" Jason spat contemptuously. "I wouldn't want to cheat the hangman."

The Doctor blinked, Jason's venomous tone startling him. It was obvious the Prince was trying very hard to remain in control of himself, which, ironically, was due to the presence of the Master. The cause of his rage was still a mystery and reasoning with him was clearly out of the question.

"Why? Why did you have to kill her?" Jason demanded mournfully. "She was no part of this. It's me you're after. Me."

Even though it was difficult, the Doctor remained silent, now completely lost. He tried desperately to concentrate his muddled brain, but to no avail. Everything kept jumbling together. He resigned himself to the fact that he would have to absorb as much as possible until his mind was clearer. Perhaps then he could sort it all out.

The Doctor was brought out of his jumbled thoughts with a jolt when Jason suddenly slammed a fist on the wall. "Answer me, damn you!" he snarled. "Answer me, or I'll come in there and shake the answers out of you!"

For the first time in his life, the Doctor was genuinely afraid of his Alterran friend. If Jason lost control of himself now, the Doctor was absolutely certainty that nothing would prevent him from taking his life.

Without realizing, the Master defused the situation when he said close to the Alterran's ear, "Jason, you said yourself he can't resist turning the knife. What better way than to kill the one person you cherished and leave you to go on alone."

Jason turned to the pretender and backed away, throwing his hands in the air. "Don't touch me! I don't want to be consoled!" he cried. He threw an angry look back to the occupant of the cell, his eyes narrowing hatefully. "I want to _kill him_. Slowly. Very…very slowly." Getting control of himself, he drew himself to his full height before he turned on his heel and stormed out of the detention area.

The Master watched him go in a combination of joy and relief. He had no intention of touching the ranting Alterran, having been trying to maintain a discreet distance the entire time he was there.

The Doctor glared angrily at his enemy, who was obviously pleased with the sizeable wedge he had managed to drive between the old friends.

"It seems Lady Tostine was found murdered tonight," the Master said in response to the Doctor's unspoken question. "And the weapon used is indicative to only one person." He paused for effect before saying, "A renegade Time Lord known as the Master."

The Doctor did not even attempt to hide his revulsion. "You've surpassed yourself in vile cruelty this time," he spat in distaste. "I didn't think that was possible. Did you murder that innocent lady just to make sure Jason and I stayed separated? Or were you hoping it would provoke him into killing me for you?"

"Such accusations!" the Master gasped in feigned amazement, clearly delighted with the turmoil he had induced in his sworn enemy. "I've killed no one. I'm the Doctor: bastion of justice and protector of the downtrodden. While you—" He smiled, savoring his next pronouncement. "You are the Master. You are—as the young Prince so succinctly put it—the most vile creature in the universe. Because of your previous, heinous offenses, the trial for the murder of Lady Tostine will, no doubt be waved. Why waste all that time and expense on another trial when you've already been sentenced—to termination."

Appalled and overwhelmed, the Doctor was forced to turn away from the mocking image of himself, the sound of his own voice only serving to increase his frustration. A wave of dizziness suddenly caught him off guard and he sat down, thinking it to be a side effect of the drugs. It was not until he looked up that he noticed the Master seemed to have experienced the same effect. _The process was unstable!_ To his joy he realized that he actually did have some power. The power of Time. The longer he stayed alive, the more unstable the obviously fragile psychic link would become until it finally broke, reversing the process.

"A little unsteady on _my_ feet?" the Doctor taunted.

Having come to the same conclusions as his enemy, the Master glared disdainfully back at him before storming out.

Having won this minor victory, the Doctor let a small laugh rumble forth. Then he sighed heavily. "Time will tell...if only I had any. Time. Buying time. Making time. A stitch in—" He broke off and shook his head in an unsuccessful attempt to clear it. "This isn't getting me anywhere. Come on, think!" he growled.

He was going to be put to death. Of that he had no doubt. There would be a formal hearing and then… Still, he had one hope. The Alterrans were an honorable race and even a scoundrel like the Master would be allowed his say in court.

The Doctor remembered the odd courtroom he had stumbled across in his wanderings and was thankful he had chosen that morning to explore. Was it really only that morning? It seemed like days ago...

"No!" the Doctor told himself. "You have got to concentrate," which was painfully difficult. He had suddenly found himself cast in the role of the spider and placed in the center of a web of deception and misdirection that the Master had spun so brilliantly around him He needed time to regain his equilibrium before he could even begin extracting himself, and his enemy was doing his level best to keep him off balance.

"_Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive,_" the Doctor quoted. Then he wondered, if he was supposed to be the Master, would he be able to use his enemy's guile against him? The courtroom. Start with the courtroom. He managed to go over the layout of the room in his mind, and then a plan started forming…

* * *

Shadra had been trying to pull herself free of the more substantial web of wires in which the Master had suspended her. At the same time, she wondered what the majority of the Imperial courtiers would think if they saw her coping with her current situation so well. The general consensus in court, which was one she perpetuated, was that she was a demure, fragile female incapable of dealing with the stressful political situations within Tel-Shye's ruling Senate. Those in court agreed that she was an excellent social secretary, but the real political decisions were beyond her expertise. In reality she was endowed with a fiercely tenacious spirit that was kept well hidden beneath beguiling smiles and carefully chosen words, with only the Aaron and Jason knowing the truth.

Now that the initial shock of her kidnapping had worn off, the Baroness was going over her situation, seeing the unmasking of her abductor as a good thing. Jason had told her about the Master and she felt she had some idea of what to expect from him. Had it truly been the Doctor, she would have been at a complete loss. Jason trusted the Doctor implicitly, and expected her to do the same. Had he been the one behind this horror—

Suddenly, Shadra realized that this had been the thing that had terrified her most. The thought of Jason's most trusted friend betraying him in so horrible a fashion.

Shadra sighed heavily and stopped struggling. She was getting nowhere fast and would only wear herself out if she continued. The fine wire filaments holding her in place were a great deal stronger than they appeared, and with the barrier operating, her strength was greatly reduced. Perhaps if she called for help, someone would hear. They simply had to!


	13. 27 The Hearing

**Chapter 27**

**The Hearing**

As the Doctor entered the courtroom, he was relieved to see it was the same one he recalled from that morning. After taking his place in the prisoner's dock, he hoped his handcuffs would be removed to give him free movement, but this was not to be. Not that he blamed them. Were conditions reversed, he would have objected vehemently had they attempted to free the real Master.

The Doctor then took in the occupants of the room. Jason was quietly conferring with the presiding judge, a look of astonishment suddenly coming to his face. He stared over at the Master a moment before turning back to the bench. This reaction went unnoticed by the impostor, who had taken his place in the first row of observers, Tegan and Turlough on either side of him.

The Doctor completed his visual sweep of the room, returning his attention to his companions, whom he had not seen since that morning. His eyes came to rest on the pale and haggard Tegan. She looked up at that very moment and caught her breath when she saw the dark inquiring eyes fixed on her.

Hearing the gasp, the Master followed her gaze, causing the Doctor to shift his intense stare to him. Their eyes locked in a silent battle of wills. The Master's expression clearly told his rival that he defied his ability to escape the immobilizing snare rapidly tightening around him. The challenge was accepted, the Doctor returning the arrogant look with one of open defiance. This silent battle of wills was interrupted when King Aaron finally entered and court was called to order.

* * *

Just as the Master predicted, the charges for the murder of Lady Tostine were waved in lieu of the previous convictions, all of which were read into the record. It was completely accurate and irrefutable. The Doctor listened to the litany in revulsion, the final outcome as he expected. The Time Lord known as the Master was to be taken to Krystos where he would be terminated in the vaporization chamber.

_This is my cue if ever I heard one_, the Doctor thought. He had not uttered a word during the entire proceeding, but had noticed that his appointed representative had failed to voice one rather important point. "If I may make so bold, your Honor," he began in a voice that was far more placating than he intended. "I feel I must point out that the official sanction for this sentence was never received from Gallifrey. And this court, therefore, has no authority to order my immediate execution."

The presiding judge remained unruffled. "This is quite true," he agreed urbanely. "However, since the Lord President of the High Council happens to be present at these proceedings…" He paused before dropping the bombshell, "I believe that makes the necessity of a written sanction a moot point."

_The Lord President!_ The Doctor cursed himself for having forgotten the high office he held himself, however unwillingly. No wonder Jason had looked so shocked.

The Master returned his look of consternation with a smug inclination of the head and the Doctor felt the snare tighten further. _Check_, he noted. _So much for the guile of the Master. That plan just went straight out the—window!_ The Doctor had a flash of inspiration. If his plan had gone out the window, why shouldn't he follow it? _Right! Time to start acting like the Doctor_.

"In that case, your Honor," the Doctor said, glaring audaciously at his rival, "I wish to make a final statement. I'm sure the Lord President will agree that even a condemned man has the right to make a final statement."

The Master's face fell, delighting the Doctor. _Check and Mate_, he thought, inclining his head at his opponent.

"You may proceed, Time Lord," the judge replied in a no nonsense tone. "But let me warn you. I am well acquainted with your…_gift_ for grandiose displays. I will not tolerate any such displays in my court. Do I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly," the Doctor said airily. Turning to the Master, he added pointedly, "As clear as crystal." Stepping out of the prisoner's dock, he began pacing back and forth in front of the bench, looking as though he were composing a final profound soliloquy. "I have only one thing to say," he began soberly. "Everything that has been said in this court regarding the Master is absolutely true."

There was a collective gasp of sheer astonishment from the assembled observers and the Doctor had to wait for order to be restored before continuing. Seeing the constrained expression on the judge's face, he gave a wry smile. _If you didn't like that_, _then you're going to hate this_. He resumed his pacing, moving ever closer to the window as he spoke. "However, since I am _not_ the Master, I have no intention of being executed in his place!" With that, and before anyone could stop him, he threw his hands in front of his face and launched himself headlong through the window, vanishing in an explosion of shattered glass.

Rolling to his feet as he hit the ground, the Doctor sprinted down the lawn and through an open French door, slamming and locking behind him.

The courtroom was in chaos: orders being shouted, guards trying to reach the window, and onlookers rushing for the exits.

Jason was beside himself, slamming a fist against the wall in frustration. _The Master escaped again_!

The real Master was also beside himself. _The Doctor escaped again!_ He too had a healthy respect for his opponent's inventive intellect. He was well aware of the fact that the Doctor was never more dangerous than when the odds were against him.

The Master turned to storm from the room only to waver unsteadily on his feet. He had to grab a chair and concentrate to maintain control, fighting the dizziness brought on by the unstable link. Too much was at stake for his plan to end now. He_ had_ to stay in control!

"Doctor! Are you alright? What's the matter?" Tegan asked. She took hold of his arm to help steady him, more certain than ever that the Time Lord was not as healthy as he claimed.

The impostor snatched his arm away, glaring scornfully down at her. "Will you stop hovering over me!" he snarled, brushing her aside and storming from the room.

Dumbfounded, Tegan watched him go, too hurt and confused to think of an appropriate response to this totally uncharacteristic behavior. Any other time she would have had plenty to say. The Doctor could be quite irritating at times, and she did not fail to point this out to him. Nevertheless, his manners were impeccable, and she could not recall a single instance when he had not apologized for losing his temper, which was rare in itself.

An equally baffled Turlough came up beside her, watching the retreating figure of the Time Lord who was rapidly becoming a stranger to them. "I think we're all a little edgy," he observed gently. "It's late. Come on, I'll take you to your room."

Tegan was about to object when she took a step forward and realized she wasn't as steady on her feet as she thought. She gave Turlough a weak smile and allowed him to help her from the now empty courtroom.


	14. 28 The Plan Unfolds

**Chapter 28**

**The Plan Unfolds**

In the darkened room into which he had bolted, the Doctor stood peering cautiously through the French door windows, his black clothing allowing him to blend into the darkness. He reflected on the irony of the fact that his utilizing the Master's own camouflage against him. It took him a few minutes to catch his breath and for the first time he appreciated the stamina his own body possessed. "You're out of condition, Master," he remarked aridly.

It was at that moment the Master wavered unsteadily on his feet and the same sickening wave of dizziness flooded over the Doctor. He grabbed at the wall to steady himself, taking deep breaths when the instability passed. He shook his head to clear it and was partially successful this time, finding it easier to concentrate. It's amazing how adrenaline and blind panic can clear the senses. Now for the next step. Finding a safe place to hide until the way to the TARDIS was clear. _Safe? But where? Everyone thought he was the Master._ The Doctor went down his list of possibilities. Aaron had just signed his death warrant and, well, they never did see eye-to-eye anyway. Jason was inconsolable, and despite his admirable show of self-control, would probably try to kill him if he got anywhere near him. Tegan would very likely scream the house down as soon as he showed himself. That left only Turlough.

The Doctor considered his brooding young companion. Turlough had always been a mystery and was unpredictable at best. It would be difficult to gauge how he would react in any situation, let alone the one the Time Lord was about to present.

After a cautious peek out the door to make certain the hall was empty, the Doctor made his way to Turlough's room, ducking out of sight as more guards rushed passed on their way to join the search of the grounds. A smile of irony came to his face as he recalled how he had strolled unchallenged through these very same corridors just hours before.

"So much for moving about unaccosted," he sighed before continuing on his way. He reached his destination without incident, slipping in and breathing a sigh of relief. "So far, so good," he muttered, adding darkly, "Said the man as he fell from a skyscraper."

After a quick glance around the room, the Doctor turned his attention to the handcuffs. In less than a minute he had picked the locks and removed them, dropping them into the drawer of a table near the door. The light control panel was set into the wall just above the table and he pulled it open, setting to work on disconnecting all the lights in the suite.

* * *

The Master was furious at the ease with which the Doctor had escaped. His anger had not cooled when he materialized in the transmat in his hidden computer center behind the Crystal Cavern.

Shadra had abandoned her cries for help and had been trying to concentrate on something positive. After all, she must have been missed by now. Her heart sank into the depths of despair when the Master informed her that, as far as the world was concerned, Lady Tostine was dead. He then went on to tell her, in intricate detail, how he had used Cedric as her substitute.

"An insipid nonentity, your assistant," he observed unkindly. "So far, no one seems to have missed him."

"That's the most evil…heartless…cruel thing I've ever heard!" the Baroness spat bitterly.

"Thank-you, my Lady," the Master purred having taken great pleasure in deflating her hopes. Tormenting his helpless prisoner had done wonders in cooling his anger. A small chuckle escaped him as he turned his attention to the computer. He adjusted the controls, going on to check the numerous dials, comparing the readings to those in a notebook.

Shadra fell silent in grief and anger. As her captor continued manipulating the controls, she became aware of a change in the power flowing through her by way of the ensnaring web. She knew the computer was artificially realigning her molecular structure but why this was necessary had yet to be revealed. Perhaps now might be the time to get some answers.

"Would you answer one question?" the Baroness said in as even a voice as possible. "Why is all this necessary? You have all this technology. Why do you need me?"

The Master turned and smiled. "That is two questions," he said arrogantly before obliging her with a reply. "The fact that you are _not_ a piece of technology is precisely why I need you. Your crystalline cell structure…sings. Once it's in harmony with the symbolic resonance of the Crystal Cavern, it can be harnessed and directed through this." He lifted an exquisite, intricately crafted gold collar from a box near the console.

Shadra did not recognize its figure-eight design as the seal of Rassilon. She did, however, notice the unusual gemstone gleaming in the medallion attached to it. _He's going to harness the power through that?_

"To do what?" she asked sheepishly, not liking the maniacal gleam that had returned to her abductor's eyes. As helpless as she was, she was glad the energy barrier was separating them.

"To amplify the power of my mind, of course. You Alterrans have let your telepathic abilities go dormant almost to the point of atrophy," the Master said condescendingly. "Not so we Time Lords. With this as a focal point, I'll have all the power I need to control anyone I choose simply by implanting my will into their minds."

"Implanting? You mean like…subliminal control?"

"Precisely, my Lady. I'm glad you grasp the significance of your role. We'll start with the High Council of Time Lords. Those broken down excuses for intelligent life have no idea what power rests within their grasp."

"The Time Lords! No, you can't!" The captive Alterran was appalled.

"Oh, but I can, thanks to you, my dear Lady Tostine."

"No! I won't help you! I won't!" she cried defiantly, resuming her fruitless struggle within her metal prison.

"You have no choice!" the Master snarled forcefully, dropping the casual manner and fixing his prisoner with a look that made her shudder and shrink into the wires fearfully. "I require you alive and that's all." With this pronouncement, he slowly turned a dial and Shadra gasped as a painful flow of low energy pulses assaulted her. The dial was returned to its original position and the dull aching throb ceased.

"Disobedience will not be tolerated," the Time Lord stated flatly. He placed the gleaming collar gingerly upon the console, stroking it reverently. "I look forward to a very long and productive association. Whether or not this is a pleasant experience is entirely up to you."

Lady Tostine looked sadly at the face of her tormentor. _Oh, Doctor_, _what has this monster done to you? Turning a good and decent man into a murderer!_ Grief, anger, and hatred suddenly swallowed her fears and Shadra flew into a rare blind rage. "I'll never serve you!" she spat. "I'd rather _die_ first!" Later she would realize how very foolish this statement had been.

"You will obey me," the Master commanded.

"_Never!"_

"As you wish," the Time Lord replied coldly and turned the dial to its maximum setting. An explosion of power shook the enclosure, electricity arching through the wires and sparking against the metal sides. Shadra screamed in pain, writhing in the center of the storm, straining desperately against the bonds anchoring her into place.

The Master dispassionately watched the helpless Alterran's torment. "You will obey me," he said to his thrashing captive.

"Stop! Please, stop!" Shadra screamed.

"You will obey me," he thundered again. "I am the Master. And you _will_ obey me!"

"Yes, anything!" came his prisoner's tortured scream. "Just turn it off! You're killing me!"

The Time Lord obliged and Shadra sagged limply into the web, unconscious, her crystalline eyes completely dark.

The Master stood chuckling in satisfaction. While such an open display of defiance usually would have enraged him, he found he was actually quite pleased by it. A strong will was an asset to the occupant of the cage as it reduced the chances of death occurring when final connection was made with the Cavern Matrix. He actually would have preferred to have Jason as his helpless captive, and not just for the purposes of revenge. He was well acquainted with the young man's explosive nature, which was also the reason he had been forced to reject him. The Master needed his victim conscious when the connections to the web were being made. After seeing the volatile Prince's emotional display in the detention area, the Master decided that he was going to stay as far as possible from the Alterran's coiling tendrils.

Lady Tostine, on the other hand, was unschooled in defending herself and had proven easy to coerce. The Master knew she had some spirit, and this last stand of defiance verified that she had been an excellent choice as the occupant of his inescapable metal creation.


	15. 29 I Need Your Help

**Chapter 29**

"**I Need your Help."**

The Doctor's companions came across the visibly calmer Prince Jason as they were making their way to their rooms. The Alterran was staring out a window into the darkness, having regained his composure enough to hide the rage that still boiled within him.

Hearing the approaching footsteps, Jason turned, noticing at once that Tegan did not look well. She was pale and trembling slightly, with a strange vacant look in her eyes. Not at all the aggressive woman he knew her to be.

Turlough watched in amazement as an instantaneous transformation took place, recalling the Doctor having remarked on how quickly Jason could switch into "Healer mode." The angry lines on the Prince's face suddenly vanished to be replaced with an expression of deep compassion. In a blink, Healer Jason had taken the place of the inconsolable Crown Prince.

"How are you feeling, Tegan?" Jason asked softly, taking her by the hand. "Any better?"

"I'm fine," she replied with a half-smile, unaware of the fact that the Prince was in the process of scanning her. Looking him in the eye, Tegan practically demanded, "Jason, what's wrong with the Doctor?"

"I wish I knew."

Tegan blinked. "But…I thought you were going to scan him when you got back."

"Father told me he refused, so I didn't push it. After that, he never asked. And now…every time I go near him he backs off." Jason shook his head in bewilderment. "If I didn't know better, I'd say he was afraid of me."

"That's not like the Doctor," Turlough observed.

"A lot of things aren't like the Doctor since we found him," Tegan sighed, being equally bewildered. "If only he could remember what happened." A sudden thought struck her and she caught her breath. "You don't suppose he ran into the Master out there, do you?" she asked astutely.

"There was no physical trauma," Jason objected. "Even if he'd been stunned, there would've been telltale signs. And Father didn't find any."

"But, Jason…"

"No, really," the Prince went on. "Just think about it. The Master is consumed with hatred. He's also vain as hell. Can you see him pulling something this bizarre without revealing himself to the Doctor beforehand? He'd've wanted to make sure he got the credit."

"Maybe he did and the Doctor just doesn't remember," Tegan said darkly.

"Could that transference thing be causing this?" Turlough wondered.

"After all this time?" Tegan said unbelievingly.

"Well, it did almost kill him! Who knows what else it might've done? I mean, why else would he suddenly be so keen on going back to Gallifrey? He couldn't get away from the place fast enough before."

"And that's another thing," Jason said pointedly. "When did the Doctor become Lord President? He's the last person I'd expect to be heading the High Council."

"_That,"_ Tegan sighed, "is a very long story."

The Prince looked over to Turlough, who nodded. "A very long and very complicated story," he agreed.

"I see," Jason sighed. "Then perhaps we should continue this discussion tomorrow. You can fill me in on the details after we've all had a good night's sleep."

* * *

After seeing Tegan to her room, Turlough went to his own and wearily entered the moonlit suite, going straight to the bedroom. He gave a resigned sigh before hitting the light switch. Nothing happened. "Great. Now the lights don't work," he moaned.

The door suddenly closed behind him and, just as suddenly, he was grabbed from behind, a hand clamped firmly over his mouth. "Don't make a sound," a deep voice hissed in his ear. "I need to talk to you."

Recognizing the voice, Turlough struggled without success to free himself.

"I'm not here to hurt you, Turlough," the voice went on, "and I'll let you go if you promise to hear me out before screaming the house down."

"Do I have a choice?" Turlough asked from behind the hand.

"Just hear me out."

The boy nodded his agreement and was instantly released. He backed away from his assailant, staring in disbelief. "I don't believe it. It is you. How did you get in here?"

"That can wait till later," the Doctor replied sharply. "Right now, I _must_ talk to you. You're probably the only one I can trust."

To Turlough, the person speaking was the Master, a consummate liar and deadly killer who, thankfully, was unarmed at the time. Nevertheless, the young man made certain to stay out of reach lest he be overpowered again. "I didn't think you trusted anyone," he said bitterly.

"Turlough, _please,__listen,_" the Doctor said insistently. "I know what you're thinking, but you're wrong. I'm not the Master."

"Who are you, then?"

"I'm the Doctor."

"And I'm the Czar of all the Russias," Turlough shot back smoothly.

The Doctor held up his hands. "_Please, listen!"_

His companion gave him a dark look. He didn't believe a word of it. The Master was only out to save his skin. Still, it was one of his better ploys. And since the Time Lord was between him and the door, Turlough decided to play along until a chance for escape presented itself. "I'm listening," he said blandly.

The Doctor drew a deep breath. He had taken a big chance contacting the boy while his head was still fuzzy. But for the sake of his companions' lives, he felt it was worth the risk. If his enemy's plot succeeded and he was killed, then Tegan and Turlough would no longer be necessary and would very likely be killed, too.

The Doctor, quite literally, talked as if his life depended on it, telling the skeptical Turlough everything he could recall of the events leading to his discover that, somehow, he and the Master had exchanged places.

"Supposing—by some wild stretch of the imagination—I should believe any of this," Turlough began caustically. "What do you want from me?"

"I need your help."

"Help! Oh, I like that!" the young man cried, masking his growing fear with aggression. "I've seen what happens to your helpers. They usually end up very small and very dead!"

"No! Turlough, you must believe me!" the Doctor said earnestly. "I can't go to anyone else, the Master's already seen to that. Jason would probably try to kill me if I went anywhere near him. And Tegan—" He paused, only to shake his head. "She never listened to me before. There's no way she would now."

Resenting the implication, Turlough demanded, "And what made you think _I_ would?"

"I don't know. I suppose—" The Doctor's explanation was cut off when another wave of dizziness swept over him, sending him reeling against the wall. He leaned heavily against its steadying surface, closing his eyes in order to concentrate his flagging energies. He felt as if he were being pulled violently in all directions, a sensation that grew more painful with each episode. When the instability finally passed, he was completely exhausted, the physical and mental strain of the last several hours, and the lingering effects of the drugs, having taken their toll on him.

"Instability in the link…" the Doctor whispered, "growing stronger." He continued to use the wall to steady himself, still dazed by the unexpected onslaught.

Turlough considered taking advantage of the situation and bolting from the room. The door wasn't that far away, and if he moved fast enough, he was sure he could avoid being grabbed on the way out.

"I'm so tired…" the Doctor said in a voice that was suddenly very frail. "So very, very tired." He lowered himself wearily into an armchair, apparently oblivious to the danger into which he was placing himself.

Now completely baffled, Turlough looked quizzically at the figure before him. It was the Master. It had to be! He was trying to trick him. Convince him of this wild story so he'd betray the Doctor. He was—

Turlough blinked. To his utter astonishment, he suddenly realized his unwanted guest was sound asleep.


	16. 30 Unwanted Guests

**Chapter 30**

**Unwanted Guests**

The Master (the real Master) returned to the suite he had appropriated from the Doctor to find a very depressed Jason waiting for him. The Prince had been brooding for some time, his melancholy thoughts having turned morbid as he dwelt on the horrible death of his fiancée. The TCE induced an agonizing death, which Jason had witnessed once already. He could picture the same thing happening to Shadra, and each time he thought of it, he sank deeper into despair.

"Jason, what in the world are you doing here?" the pretender asked in a concerned tone. "You should be trying to get some sleep." Inwardly he was wishing he could simply throw the boy out. He was becoming as big a nuisance as the Doctor's companions.

"I can't sleep. _How can I?_" Jason moaned despairingly.

"You're not going to be much good to anyone if you worry yourself sick," the Master observed, inwardly hoping the Alterran would quite literally worry himself to death.

"I know," Jason sighed. "I just needed to talk to someone. I needed—" Unable to continue, he pounded his fist on a table, cursing under his breath. "I've been such a fool! After all these years, I find out—and now she's gone!" Turning away, he cried mournfully, "Oh, Doctor, I've wasted so much time!"

"Jason, I won't pretend to have the right words," the Master said truthfully. The young man turned back towards him and, fearing he might try to touch him, the Time Lord moved aside.

Jason observed this but chose not to remark on it, saying instead, "You never did understand my—What did you used to call it? My annoying propensity for romanticism?" He gave a small smile, shaking his head. "Well, I admit I still don't know how you can unravel things the way you do. And right now, you're the only one who can possibly unravel all this."

"That's not necessarily true," the Master replied mildly, knowing the statement to be irritatingly accurate.

Jason smiled, thinking his friend was just being modest. "Maybe not, my friend, maybe not. But at least we can talk. We used to be able to talk about anything, do you remember?"

"Of course I remember, dear boy," the impostor lied. He was intrigued by the sudden intimacy of the conversation, reflecting on how his scheme was yielding some very unexpected results.

The Master never got the chance to draw the Prince out. At that moment the violent surge of instability sent the Doctor reeling against the wall in Turlough's room, sending his counterpart staggering into a table that he clutched at for support.

"Doctor! What's the matter?" Jason cried in alarm, taking a step forward to assist his wavering friend.

The Time Lord held up a hand to stop the advancing Alterran. "I'm alright," he said softly. "Just a little tired, perhaps. I really shouldn't be scolding you for not resting when I should be getting some myself."

Now that Tegan and Turlough had voiced their concerns, Jason was positive his friend was concealing something, which only added to his anxiety. The Doctor only concealed information he felt would be distressing to his companions, among whom Jason numbered himself. Whatever had happened along the cliff, the Doctor still seemed to be experiencing its effects. _Deadly effects?_ Jason wondered fearfully. "Doctor, please, what's wrong? I don't have to scan you to see you're under some kind of psychic attack. I'm a Healer, for pity sake! Why won't you let me help you?"

"I'm sorry, Jason, I can't. Not now." Studying the worried face for any glimmer of suspicion, the pretender added firmly, "You must trust me. I know what I'm doing."

"But what are you—?" Jason broke off, his eyes growing wide. "You remember what happened, don't you?"

"Jason, _please_, trust me."

"You know I hate it when you say that!"

"Jason…"

Still filled with misgivings, the Prince relented. He trusted the Doctor implicitly and it was this trust that the Master was banking on. Jason reluctantly bid the impostor goodnight, inwardly praying his old friend would not wait until it was too late to reveal what was happening to him.

Much relieved, the Master watched him go. _Good riddance_, he thought.

* * *

Turlough sat watching the peacefully sleeping figure in his room for some time. He had managed to find a light that still worked and, not sure why himself, had closed all the drapes. He was turning the incredible story that he had just heard over and over in his mind. _It could not possibly be true!_ And yet…the real Master would hardly have left himself so vulnerable as to go to sleep with one of the Doctor's companions present and unrestrained.

"This is too weird," Turlough muttered, thinking it was probably just weird enough to be something the Doctor would be mixed up in. "Oh no…" he said at last, shaking his head and rising to his feet. "You're not talking yourself into this one. You should be calling for h—" He turned sharply to the door as an idea suddenly popped into his devious mind. He would call to the Doctor for help. This sleeping impostor would never answer him and would very likely flee.

Going out into the main room, Turlough looked around for the best place to conceal himself. He decided the heavy drapes in front of the sliding glass door to the balcony would be best, as they also offered a way of escape should anything go wrong. He turned on a small light to illuminate the impostor's escape route. Then he went to the bedroom door, calling out in his most terror-stricken voice, which was not that too difficult considering how frightened he was already.

"Doctor! Doctor, help me! Doctor!" Turlough broke off when the eyes of his unwelcome visitor snapped open. He took up his position behind the drapes and waited.

Turlough's cries woke the Doctor from a sound sleep and the urgency in the voice drove all thoughts from his mind save the welfare of his companion. He looked around the room and then rose to his feet to begin searching in earnest.

"Turlough? What's wrong?" the Doctor called as he entered the main room. "Turlough, where are you?" He was making for the door when he caught sight of himself in a mirror and stopped dead, cursing himself for being so obtuse. He was still the Master to everyone. Obviously the boy had run to the person he thought to be the Doctor—the Master.

The very thought of his companion seeking help from his sworn enemy made the Doctor's blood boil and he glared angrily at the reflection, speaking to it as if it were the Master himself, "Oh, no, you haven't won yet. Once I'm out of the way, you'll have no need of my companions, will you? Well, I'll find a way to stop you. Do you hear me? I'll find a way!"

Picking up a brass figurine from a nearby table, the Time Lord hurled it at the mirror and the offending reflection was swallowed in a cascade of broken glass. "Seven years bad luck," he grunted as he began his customary pacing.

The Doctor pressed his hands against his head as if to prevent any stray thoughts from escaping. "Think. Come on, _think!_ There has to be a way. There has to!"

His mind, infuriatingly, was blank.

"Oh, it's no use," he growled. "Let's start from the beginning." He counted on his fingers as he went. "One: you've just been sentenced to death." A momentary pause. "Two: there are still too many guards about to make a break for the TARDIS. Three and four: you've been drugged and still can't think straight—as is evident by this exercise. And five: you've just managed to chase you're only hope of assistance to the very person responsible for this whole mess!"

Looking at his open hand, the Doctor sighed. "So far, Doctor, I'd say you're not doing very well at all." Rubbing his temple with his hand, he added dejectedly, "Now _I'm_ the one feeling left out."

* * *

This last remark caused Turlough to let out an involuntary cry of alarm.

Startled, the Time Lord spun around, relaxing visibly when his companion came out of hiding. They stared at one another for what seemed an eternity before the Doctor finally said calmly, "I thought you'd gone."

Turlough tried to answer, but nothing came out and he had to shake his head in reply. What he had just heard was the confirmation he did not realized he needed. The sinister figure standing before him was not the Master at all. It _was_ the Doctor. Somehow, the incredible story was true.

"Turlough? Are you alright?" the Doctor asked concernedly.

"Yes…no…oh, I don't know. Everything's all mixed up!" Turlough suddenly felt completely overwhelmed. This was not the outcome he had expected when he decided on his little experiment. He went to the nearest chair to sit down, discovering at the same time that he was trembling. Whether it was from shock or fear he could not say.

"Turlough, you're many things, but indecisive isn't one of them," the Doctor observed, cautiously drawing closer. "You believe me, don't you?"

The young man did not answer right away. He studied the man standing across the room, the face having become synonymous with evil. But something had changed. In the dark, he had not seen it, but now he could see quite clearly that the cold, compelling eyes had lost their sinister edge and were studying him with a look of concern that he had seen many times before—in the Doctor's eyes!

"What you just said…" Turlough managed finally, "about…being alone…"

"About being left out, you mean?" the Time Lord corrected. The instant he said it he realized why this statement had been such a shock to his companion. "That's what I said to you on the beach this morning!" he gasped. "I'm a fool! I should've thought of that. The things the Master couldn't possibly know."

Listening to the all too familiar rantings of the Doctor chastening himself, Turlough really needed no further proof. But when faced with an extremely dangerous situation he liked to think of himself as having a well developed sense of caution, so just to be on the safe side, he asked, "Such as?"

A wry smile came to the Doctor's face as the reply came to him. "Such as your wanting to know if I've ever wondered what it would be like to be able to change my appearance like the Alterrans."

The young man could not help but laugh at how ironic his "silly question" had become.

Encouraged, the Doctor asked again, "_Now_ do you believe me?"

Turlough met the Time Lord's gaze steadily. "Yes, I believe you, heaven only knows why. But I can tell you right now," he added hurriedly, "I'm going to find it very difficult calling you the Doctor."


	17. 31 Hide And Seek

**Chapter 31**

**Hide And Seek**

Jason had scarcely gone from the Master's room before the Time Lord started racking his brain trying to think of the most likely place for his enemy to be hiding. The Doctor had been at large far too long, and the erratic psychic link between them was becoming more and more difficult to control.

Stepping out onto the balcony, the Master surveyed the area, his eyes coming to rest on the Doctor's TARDIS standing alone and apparently deserted at the edge of the lawn. "Of course," he muttered under his breath, "the most obvious place." Waving to a couple of passing guards as he descended the exterior stairs, the impostor walked quickly to the battered Police Box. The door swung open when he touched it and he paused. _Perhaps the Doctor hadn't reached his TARDIS after all_. O_r perhaps he'd left the door open to make it appear as though he hadn't._ Taking no chances, the Master cautiously entered, TCE in hand.

The console room was empty. Using the computer to scan the interior, the Master was able to con­firm that the ship was unoccupied. Fishing through the Doctor's coat pockets, he produced the TARDIS key with a grin and then strode through the exterior doors. He glanced around quickly before locking the doors behind him. With a satisfied grunt, he looked triumphantly down at the key in the palm of his hand. _There's nowhere safe for you to hide now_, _Doctor,_ he thought gloatingly. _Not while I had the only key to your TARDIS._

Or so he thought.

* * *

"Turlough, I must get to the TARDIS," the Doctor was saying insistently.

Turlough, on the other hand, was trying desperately to get the Doctor to rest. He only succeeded in getting him to sit down. It was all too obvious the Time Lord was very close to the point of collapse.

"There're too many guards out there," Turlough pointed out. "It's not safe."

At that moment the Master strode by on the balcony and Turlough peered through the drapes. He shot a frightened look over at the Doctor, who gestured that he follow. "He doesn't know you know," the Time Lord reminded.

The uneasy young man crept out, watching from the balcony as the pretender entered the TARDIS. Unsure whether he should wait or go back, Turlough decided to wait a few minutes. Just as he was about to go back, he saw the Master reappear and lock the TARDIS behind him. Turlough dashed back to his room while the Time Lord's back was turned and watched silently through the drapes until he had gone by again. It was then that he realized he was holding his breath and exhaled, turning to report what he had just witnessed to the Doctor.

Greatly relieved, the Doctor nodded approvingly. Now the TARDIS would be completely safe for him to hide in. "Turlough, I must get to the TARDIS," he said yet again. He was hoping the TARDIS would be able to afford him some protection against the mounting instability.

"How? The Doctor—" Biting off his own words, Turlough corrected himself before voicing his objection, "_the Master_—has the only key. And don't you dare tell me to go ask him for it!"

The Time Lord smiled. "He hasn't the only key, Turlough. Tegan has one."

"Tegan!" Turlough was stunned. _Since when did she have a key?_

"I gave it to her before you joined us," the Doctor said in reply to his companion's unspoken question. "It was on a whim." _Well, a bribe, actually_, he thought, recalling how he had given Tegan the key when the TARDIS materialized on an Urbankan spaceship during one of his many unsuccessful attempts to return her to London Airport. He had considered taking it away from her when she almost got him killed by taking off in the TARDIS on her own. Now he was very glad he had let her keep it.

Turlough suddenly realized what the Doctor was suggesting. "Hang on a minute. You want me to sneak into her room and _steal it?_" he gasped. It was not so much the idea of the thief that bothered him as the idea that Tegan might catch him at it. As good as he was at thinking on his feet, he was in no mood to tangle with the quick-tempered Australian. Not after what he had just been through with the Doctor. Unfortunately, there was no other way. The Doctor could not go himself, and his desperation to get to the TARDIS was becoming distinctly unnerving.

"Turlough…" the Time Lord began forcefully.

His companion held up his hands in defeat. "I know, I know. You can't go yourself." He received a relieved look in reply. "Alright, I'll go. But on one condition. You promise me you'll at least attempt to rest while I'm gone." Turlough returned the Time Lord's dark look with one of his own. "I'm serious. You'll never get to the TARDIS if you can't even stand."

Had he not been so preoccupied, the Doctor would have been amused by his companion's seemingly sudden show of concern. He agreed to his terms, waving impatiently for the young man to go. "You'd better lock the door," he instructed.

Turlough gave him a wry smile and left.

The Doctor watched him go and then sighed heavily, being greatly relieved to have the assistance of at least one of his companions. Despite all his protestations, Turlough wasn't nearly the coward he made himself out to be. Leaning back in his chair, the Doctor sighed again. Now he could relax—_finally_, he thought, feeling safe for the first time since his disquieting arrest. He suddenly realized he was completely exhausted and closed his eyes, falling asleep almost immediately.

* * *

Having prepared a suitable story in case he was caught, Turlough drew a deep breath and entered Tegan's bedroom, hoping she'd had the decency to leave the key out in the open with her other belongings. He went quietly over to the dresser, finding the TARDIS key carefully placed in a jewelry dish. With a grin, he pocketed the key and turned to leave, inadvertently bumping a table just as he reached the door.

Tegan sat up so quickly, Turlough nearly jumped out of his skin. "Who's there!"

"It's only me," he whispered, positioning himself as though he were peeking in the door.

Tegan switched on the light, causing the young man to blink against the glare, his eyes having adjusted to the darkness. "Turlough? What on earth…?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," he said in complete honesty. "I just came to see if you were alright," he then lied. "You were rather shaky before."

Tegan was struck dumb, thinking the youth's obvious discomfort was the result of her having caught him in the act of showing some actual concern for her. _Well, what do you know about that? Turlough of all people!_ As soon as she found her voice, Tegan assured him that she was perfectly all right and silently marveled as he left. _What next?_ she wondered. First the Doctor started acting strangely, and now Turlough seemed to have had a massive injection of humanity She did not think she could take any more weird behavior from anyone else.

She was wrong.

* * *

Turlough returned to his suite to find the Doctor was not sleeping as peacefully as he had earlier. The restless figure in the chair seemed to be fighting off an attack of some kind and Turlough wondered if he were reliving the process that had gotten him into this mess in the first place. He jumped when the Time Lord suddenly sat bolt upright, looking as if he were about to spring from his seat.

"Twice in one night," the young man grumbled as he crossed to the chair. He touched the Doctor on the shoulder, but before he could utter a word, the Time Lord seized him in a vice-like grip, dragging him to his knees. To his added horror Turlough realized the Doctor was still asleep.

"If you're not the Doctor, then I'm in big trouble," he muttered. He struggled to disengage himself, having to force himself to call the Time Lord by name. Even though he knew he would have to eventually, it still felt very strange. "Doctor, it's me, Turlough. Doctor! Wake up!" His rising panic came through in his voice as he discovered he could not free himself from the iron grip.

The Doctor blinked awake, shaking his head and focusing on his frightened companion. "Turlough…?" he said dazedly. "Oh, Turlough, I've just had the most horrible dream. An absolute nightmare." He released his grip on the frightened young man, who fell back to the floor. The Doctor leaned forward, putting his head in his hands.

Turlough looked ruefully up at the distressed Time Lord. There had been a time when he would have delighted in the Doctor's present torment, but that was no more. Those days were long past and he hated what he had to do next. "If it involved switching places with the Master…" The Doctor looked up sharply. "Then it was no dream."


	18. 32 This Can't Go On

**Chapter 32**

"**This Can't Go On…"**

Shadra hung despondently in her metal prison. She, too, was reliving the nightmare of events she had experienced. It was pointless to resist, she knew that now. If she fought back, the Master would just hurt her again. Or worse, he might bring harm to Jason. Disguised as the Doctor, he could so easily lure him into the Palace transmat and transport him to the computer center. Once there, and with the energy barrier operating, Jason would be at his mercy.

Shadra shuddered. The Master had made a lot of circuitry modifications to the transmat terminal, and had even gone so far as to add a padlock to the door, leading her to believe his threats against the Prince had not been made simply to frighten her. He was planning something very nasty for Jason, and there was absolutely nothing she could do to prevent it. Feeling isolated and completely powerless, she began sobbing quietly.

Out in the Crystal Cavern, the glowing multicolored crystals encrusting the walls started to pulse faintly in time with her weeping. The induced realignment of her molecular structure was very close to completion.

* * *

Turlough managed to find a cloak similar to the one Jason wore most of the time and gave it to the Doctor. It would provide him a minimal disguise, but from a distance, no one would know the difference. Hopefully. They had agreed that the Doctor should go to the TARDIS alone, his companion rendezvousing with him in the morning.

Turlough made a quick check outside before motioning the Time Lord out. The Doctor moved silently down the exterior stairs, being grateful he did not have to pass his own room. He made straight for the TARDIS, glancing back to his uneasy companion before vanishing inside.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Turlough turned and crept back to his room—and bed. If the events of the last few hours were anything to go by, he knew he would need all the rest he could get. He had a sneaking suspicion the worst was yet to come.

* * *

Tegan was furious when she discovered her key to the TARDIS was missing. "That brat!" she fumed. "I'll kill him!" She had deduced, correctly, that Turlough had just handed her a line in order to cover his tracks. Luckily for Turlough, he had already come and gone when Tegan arrived at breakfast. She resolved to hunt him down as soon as she had taken a tray up to the Doctor, who had sent his apologies for his absence, stating that he would not be fit company that morning. Tegan and Jason were encouraged by this, as it usually meant the Doctor was brooding and simply did not want to be bothered eating.

"I hope this means the Doctor's back to his old self again," Tegan was saying as she prepared the tray. "He's been acting so strange. You'd think he was a completely different person."

* * *

After his hasty breakfast, Turlough slipped unnoticed into the TARDIS. With the exception of the cloak hanging from the hat stand, the console room was empty. The Doctor appeared at the inner door several minutes later, greeting his perplexed yet willing companion, who immediately noticed that the Time Lord looked considerably more alert than the last time he had seen him.

The Doctor confirmed this observation, informing his companion that the TARDIS had been able to shield him against the waves of dizziness he had been experiencing. He went on to say that it probably would not last, as the instability would eventually grow to the point where it would overcome the protection of the TARDIS.

On the other hand, now that he was rested and the effects of the drugs had worn off, the Doctor's mind was clear, sharp, and in high gear. He had been trying to piece together all the bits of information he had been gathering. Unfortunately, they only formed an incomplete puzzle. The most curious piece, supplied by Turlough, was the Master's intention to return to Gallifrey to take the Doctor's place as Lord President. Since the Master had never had any use for the Time Lords or the High Council, it was an absolute certainty he was not after the prestige.

"He must be after the Matrix," the Doctor speculated. "As Lord President, you don't just have access to it, you become a part of it. And since I—well, my body, that is—has already had contact, it will save him the trouble of preparing himself." Turning to his companion, he added darkly, "Not the most pleasant of propositions, is it?"

Turlough felt a chill run down his spine. The Master's voice added an even more sinister edge to the Doctor's remark. "How does knowing this help us?" he wanted to know.

"It doesn't. At least, not at present. I'm not exactly in the position to go warning the High Council, now am I?"

The Doctor decided to go to the TARDIS library in the hopes that it might yield something that might help him. His companion stayed behind, feeling he might be in the way

* * *

The Master was deep in thought when he heard Tegan approaching with the breakfast tray. He took up a position in an easy chair, giving the appearance of reading a book with great interest. He looked up and smiled engagingly when she entered.

"Good morning, Doctor," Tegan said cheerily. "I brought you some breakfast."

"That's very thoughtful of you, Tegan. Thank-you."

"You've been up all night, haven't you?" she said suddenly, receiving a startled look in reply. "I thought as much. Doctor, you're supposed to be resting, not brooding. And don't give me any of that 'Time Lords don't require as much sleep as humans' stuff, either," Tegan scolded. She poured a cup of tea and handed it to the pretender.

"Yes, Mother," the Master said dryly, looking over the contents of the tray.

Tegan smiled self-consciously and decided to change the subject. "Have you seen Turlough this morning?"

The Master picked up the slight edge to her voice. "Only a fleeting glimpse. Why? Problems?"

"Nothing I can't handle," came the astringent reply.

The Master was intrigued. He knew of the friction that existed between Tegan and Turlough and decided it might be in his best interest to fan the flames. This human female had always proven easy to provoke, and if the Doctor's companions were busy fighting amongst themselves, they would leave him alone.

"Are you two at it again?" the bogus Doctor sighed. "Tegan, you really must try to get along with Turlough."

"Get along! You must be joking? That brat—"

"Now, Tegan," he interrupted calmly, "being disagreeable isn't going to help."

"Disagreeable!" Tegan was incredulous. "Doctor, you don't even know what that intergalactic juvenile delinquent's gone and done. He—"

"My dear Tegan, that's quite beside the point," the Master continued infuriatingly. "I'm sure you're just overreacting. We've all been under a great deal of stress. It's only natural." He took a sip of his tea, thoroughly enjoying the frustration he had induced in Tegan.

"Overreacting!" she cried, throwing up her hands in disgust. "I'll show you overreacting, Doctor. Because if I get my hands on him, I swear I'll kill him!"

"Well, please do it quietly," the Master suggested, reflecting on what an enjoyable sight this would be. A massive surge of instability suddenly swept over him, as the link grew more unmanageable. The cup fell from his hands and shattered as it hit the floor.

Tegan's anger with Turlough was immediately secondary. She rushed to the Time Lord's side. "Doctor, please, this can't go on. What's wrong? What's happening to you?"

The impostor gave her a weak smile as he tried to regain his composure, deciding to use the same tactic on her that had worked with Jason. "I'm alright, Tegan, honestly. You're going to have to trust me. I know what I'm doing."

"But what _are_ you doing? Doctor, please—"

"Tegan, you must trust me. Just this once," he insisted, praying this would be sufficient to cause her to back down. The attack on his senses and the effort of staving off her inquiries were severely tapping his strength.

Tegan was now deeply troubled by this return to uncharacteristic evasiveness. The Doctor was usually compelled to seek out the assistance of his companions, even if it was only to act as a sounding board for his usually incomprehensible theories. A loner he was not. Then again, he also had the infuriating habit of being right most of the time. With this in mind, Tegan relented in the same reluctant manner as Jason the night before.

The Master had no idea he had just brushed aside the one clue that would have given him his enemy's exact location. Tegan had had every intention of telling him Turlough had stolen her TARDIS key. Fortunately for the Doctor, she was never given the chance.


	19. 33 What The Devil's Going On?

**Chapter 33**

"**What The Devil's Going On?"**

Turlough was blissfully unaware of the fact that Tegan was currently stalking him. He was more concerned with the Doctor who had been gone for far too long in his opinion. _What if he's in trouble? Had another attack or something? _Turlough was just heading for the inner door when a voice broke into his thoughts, telling him that it was he who was in trouble.

"Turlough, are you in there?" came Tegan's angry voice through the door.

"Oh, no! Not Tegan!" Turlough gasped, suddenly close to panic. _She mustn't find the Doctor here. Not like this!_ He started towards the doors hoping to cut her off, but he was too far across the room. Tegan came storming into the console room before he even reached the control console.

"There you are, Mister Compassion-In-The-Night," she growled. "What's the big idea, Turlough? As if things aren't bad enough already, now you go and pull a stunt like this!"

Turlough groaned. He could not tell the ranting Tegan the real reason for the theft, and was completely unprepared for this sudden confrontation. His mind, infuriatingly, had gone blank, leaving him incapable of coming up with any plausible excuse. He tried the simplest route. "Sorry."

Tegan's jaw dropped open. "Sorry! Is that all you've got to say for yourself? Sorry?" She stormed around the room beside herself. "Why didn't you just ask the Doctor to open the door for you? Or was that too easy?"

"No. Tegan, you don't understand—"

"Too right, I don't understand!" she snapped. "So you're just going to tell me."

"_I can't!"_

Tegan stopped dead in her tracks and stared at him. "You're as bad as the Doctor. I think the pair of you have gone completely round the bend."

"The Doctor?"

"Oh, come on, Turlough! You know exactly what I'm talking about. He's been acting really strange—even for the Doctor. He practically bit my head off last night, and this morning he's trying to act as peacemaker."

"Peacemaker? For what?" Turlough was getting totally confused trying to follow Tegan's logic.

"He was trying to keep me from killing you for stealing my key to the TARDIS!" she roared.

Turlough felt all the blood drain from his face at the thought of the Master knowing what he had done. He and Tegan were safe as long as the Doctor remained out of sight, but should the Master find out where he was…

"You didn't tell him, did you?" the young man demanded fearfully.

Tegan was completely thrown by Turlough's sudden change in manner. It wasn't like him to be rattled at the thought of the Doctor learning he had provoked her yet again. "No, I never got the chance," she said in a more normal voice. Seeing a look of relief flood over his face, she demanded, "Turlough, what the devil's going on?"

As if on cue, the Doctor entered via the inner door speaking as he came through. "No luck, I'm afraid, Turlough. I couldn't find—Oh, dear." He stopped dead in his tracks, almost walking straight into the horrified Tegan. Anticipating her reaction he sprinted to the console and hit the door lever.

Turlough managed to forestall Tegan's flight and the double doors swung shut a split second before she reached them. She thumped on them with her fists and then whirled around, angry and terrified. "Open this door!" she demanded.

Unable to watch the torment of his companion in her vain efforts to flee from him, the Doctor stood leaning on the console, his head lowered. _Now what do I do? How do I explain this? _He looked over at Turlough who gave him a don't-look-at-me shrug. _Thanks a lot, Turlough_.

Drawing a deep breath, the Doctor straightened. He looked sadly over at his panic-stricken companion, hating the fear he was instilling in her. He raised his hands in an attempt to calm her. "It's alright, Tegan. I'm not going to hurt you." He tried to sound reassuring, but the rich, velvety tones of the Master's voice could take on such a menacing edge.

"How did you get in here? What do you want?" Tegan started to tremble and the Doctor instinctively took a step forward to comfort her, only to add to her panic. "You keep away from me!" she screamed, shrinking back against the doors. To her amazement, the Time Lord retreated.

The Doctor turned pleadingly over to Turlough, who sighed heavily. As if he weren't in enough trouble with Tegan already, he thought. "It's alright, Tegan," he said as he crossed to her. "Honestly."

"Alright! Turlough, have you gone completely mad!" the aghast Tegan cried. "He'd kill the Doctor as soon as look at him." Her voice hardened as she added, "And here you are, nice as you please, all very cozy." She stared hard at Turlough. Originally he had been the servant of the Black Guardian, his mission being to kill the Doctor. With the White Guardian's assistance, he was able to break the contract, after which Turlough had asked to stay on. _Was it possible_, Tegan thought, _after all the Doctor had done for him, Turlough had actually changed sides? Again?_

"It's not what you think!" Turlough protested, knowing exactly what she was thinking. He turned to the Doctor, who was still standing at the console and taking in the exchange with keen interest. "I'm not handling this very well at all, Doctor."

"You're doing fine," the Time Lord replied mildly, knowing that Turlough's calling him by name would induce an immediate reaction from Tegan.

"Doctor!" She grabbed Turlough by the shoulders and shook him. "Turlough, snap out of it! That's the Master!"

"No. I'm not," the Doctor stated categorically. "As difficult as this may be to believe, Tegan, I'm not the Master. I'm the Doctor."

"Oh, right. You're the Doctor," she spat sarcastically. "Don't tell me, let me guess. You've just regenerated into the Master's double."

"If it were only that simple," the Doctor sighed mournfully.

Tegan could feel herself becoming very angry and looked as if she were about to explode when Turlough intervened, insisting that she "shut up and listen."

* * *

A servant had removed the breakfast tray and broken cup from the Doctor's suite, the intrusion having been tolerated by the Master with visible effort. Only minutes after the servant had gone, he was interrupted yet again by Prince Jason, who brought the latest report on the fruitless search of the area.

"Doctor, you know as well as I do the Master won't be found after all this time. He's much too good at covering his tracks." With an exasperated sigh, the Prince added, "I think we were just lucky to've caught him in the first place. He must be long gone by now."

"Well…I'm sure that's a possibility," the Master replied, his brow furrowed in feigned concentration, "but I seriously doubt it. Please, don't take this the wrong way, Jason, but I can't picture the Master coming all the way to Tel-Shye for the sole purpose of murdering—as he would see it—an insignificant aristocrat. Surely he must have broader plans and Shadra was simply a…diversion."

The pretender watched as an anguished expression spread across Jason's face, an indication that the arrow had found its mark. The Alterran's blue eyes turned icy cold with hatred and the Master began congratulating himself on yet another brilliant job of manipulation.

"If he's here, Doctor, we'll find him. If we have to turn over every rock on the planet!" With that, the Prince swept from the room.

The Master laughed as soon as Jason was gone, pulling the TARDIS key from his pocket. "No where to hide, Doctor," he intoned.

* * *

Turlough had talked himself out to the unconvinced Tegan. "You don't really expect me to believe that fairy tale, do you?" she said acidly. "You know perfectly well he's a master hypnotist —and _liar_."

The Doctor groaned inwardly, his eyes going to the ceiling. Leave it to Tegan to finally remember one of her warnings at just the wrong time. Now anything personal he might try to relate to her would be believed to have come from Turlough.

Tegan was trying to reason with the frustrated young man, believing him to be under the Master's control. "Just listen to yourself. The Doctor's not the Doctor, he's the Master. And the Master's not the Master, he's the Doctor." She took a deep breath. "Oh, now I'm getting confused."

"How do you think I feel?" the Doctor asked mildly.

"I don't care how _you_ feel!" she spat back venomously.

"Tegan!" Turlough admonished.

The Doctor's eyes narrowed. Obviously Tegan was not going to believe anything they told her, and they had already wasted too much valuable time trying to convince her. The question now was, what should he do with her? The most logical solution, of course, was to keep her imprisoned in the TARDIS, but this was unthinkable to the Doctor. His face darkened further as other, equally unpleasant solutions came to mind.

The ominous look sent a chill down Tegan's spine, and speculations as to its cause were terrifying at best. She had forgotten until that moment that she was still trapped in the console room.

Apparently sensing her panic, the Doctor came to the most humane decision he could and pulled the door lever. The double doors swung open behind his astonished companions. "No tricks," he assured. "You're free to go."

Tegan eyed him suspiciously. "Just like that?"

"Just like that. The fact that you don't believe me doesn't change who I am, Tegan. I said I wouldn't hurt you, and I've no intentions of keeping you a prisoner, either."

Turlough was aghast. He could not believe the Doctor was going to let Tegan just walk out the door to probably bring back every guard in the Palace. Not to mention the Master! Unlike the Doctor, he had no qualms about keeping Tegan a prisoner in the TARDIS. "Are you mad!" the young man exploded.

"No," the Time Lord grinned. "I'm the Doctor."


	20. 34 What Is Mind Bonding?

**Chapter 34**

**What is Mind-Bonding?**

"That's not funny," Turlough said sourly. He was about to object vehemently to the decision to let Tegan go when the Time Lord cried out in pain, his knees buckling under the weight of another surge of instability. Grabbing the console for support, the Doctor slowly lowered himself to the floor, being only vaguely aware of his companion coming up beside him.

Tegan was transfixed by what she saw happening. Turlough was actually helping the Master! How could he? Come to that, how was she going to explain any of this? It was so unbelievable. _Excuse me, I've just found the Master. He's in the TARDIS with Turlough. But_…_not to worry, he thinks he's the Doctor._ Tegan shook her head. _They'll be locking you up for sure if you tell them that one._

The wave came and went leaving the Doctor visibly shaken and breathing heavily. "The instability's grown…far too strong," he managed finally. "I can't…control it any longer. It's…as if I'm being…torn apart."

Turlough felt completely helpless, unable to do more than watch as the Time Lord battled the mounting instability, each episode draining his strength a little more. "I don't know what to do to help you," the young man said. "Please, tell me."

The Doctor shook his head dejectedly, thinking he could not even help himself. A sudden, terrifying thought struck him and he looked up sharply, staring intently at his companion. "Perhaps there is something…"

Tegan had heard quite enough, suddenly remembering the open doors behind her. She was about to bolt through them when she spotted her TARDIS key on the control console where the Doctor had left it. By this time she had been completely forgotten and she took advantage of it, snatching up her key and fleeing through the open doors.

* * *

Tegan practically knocked Jason over as she ran blindly into the Palace and down the main corridor. He could see she was frightened and feared she had encountered the Master. He was only half right. "Tegan, are you alright? What's wrong?" he asked concernedly.

Tegan tried to catch her breath and explain at the same time. The results were unintelligible.

"Calm down. Calm down," Jason soothed.

"Oh, Jason, you have no idea what's been going on!"

"Then tell me."

Tegan took a deep breath and tried to collect her thoughts. Where should she start? By rights, she shouldn't even be there to be telling him anything. She should be a prisoner in the TARDIS. Why had the Master let her go? Was it just a ploy to convince her that his crazy story was true? How could it be? The whole thing was so totally off the wall. Even the name of that _secret_ process sounded phony.

"Jason, have you ever heard of something called KaRoon-Tar?" she asked suddenly.

The Alterran's eyes grew wide in astonishment. "Where did you hear about _that?_"

"Never mind. Just tell me, what is it?" Tegan replied. "It's very important."

"Tegan…I can't…" Jason stammered, shaking his head.

"Then tell me this. Does it mean mind-bonding?"

Jason's jaw dropped open. The KaRoon-Tar was one of his people's most closely guarded secrets and the only outsiders with access to the information were the Time Lords. So how had Tegan found out about it? Surely the Doctor wouldn't have told her.

"Jason, please, does it mean mind-bonding?" Tegan repeated.

The Prince could see she was determined to know, and the panicky edge to her voice told him her question was more than just idle curiosity. "Come with me," he said, taking her into the privacy of a nearby room.

Tossing his cape onto a chair, the Alterran crossed to the sofa, having Tegan take a seat beside him. "Tegan, you've got to swear to me that what I tell you goes no further than this room," he said firmly.

"Jason—"

"I mean it. Or I tell you nothing."

After extracting Tegan's promise, Jason explained that in ancient times on Tel-Shye, the KaRoon-Tar had been the final ritual of a Royal marriage. The knowledge of the process was limited to only to a handful of individuals, he himself having learned of it only after his elevation to the rank of Crown Prince. The process linked the minds of the couple undergoing it, permanently joining them in a telepathic unity that was once unique to the ruling family of his home world.

"Shadra found the idea intriguing when I told her about it," Jason said with a bittersweet smile. "She said she always wanted to know how my mind worked."

Tegan could see how difficult this had been for him, and wished she did not have to press further. But if there was really something called KaRoon-Tar…

"What if someone who wasn't Alterran underwent this process?" she asked innocently.

"It would be disastrous!" The Prince was aghast, having misinterpreted her question as a reference to herself.

The emotionally charged response did nothing to ease Tegan's mind, either. It did, however, tell her she was on the right track. "How?" she persisted. "I mean, say Turlough and I went through it. What would happen?" _Turlough wouldn't be very happy about it, that's what would happen,_ she thought. _Neither would I, come to that. Being inside the mind of that devious, self-centered brat._ Tegan shuddered at the thought.

Jason sighed, staring in wonderment at the persistent Earth woman before him. There was no doubting she had recaptured the spark that had been missing the previous evening. "If you and Turlough underwent the process," he began slowly, "instead of your minds joining, you'd switch places entirely."

"You mean, I would be Turlough, and he would be me?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Permanently?"

"Well…yes and no," Jason replied unhelpfully. "Because of the way the process is geared, the switch isn't total. There's still a link between mind and body. As time passes, the link becomes more and more unstable as your body tries to pull your mind back to where it belongs."

Tegan took this all in, marveling. It was all sounding very familiar. Frighteningly familiar. "Jason, does that mean I would eventually revert back to the way I started?"

"No, the process has to be reversed. Otherwise the instability would continue to build until it killed you. That's why it's been kept a secret," the Alterran stated matter of factly. "Now would you please tell me…?" His voice trailed off as an odd look came to the woman's face. "Tegan? What is it?"

Tegan was no longer listening. _Instability!_ That's exactly what the Master said before she bolted from the TARDIS. _What the **Master** said!_ She looked down at the key she still held in one hand.

"The Master…not the Master," she muttered, "but…" Her eyes grew wide with the sudden horrifying realization. "Oh, no! Jason, you've got to come with me. _NOW!"_ Grabbing the bewildered aristocrat by the hand, she practically dragged him from the room.

"Where are we going?" the Prince wanted to know.

"To the Doctor. The _real_ Doctor."


	21. 35 The Doctor's Not Himself

**Chapter 35**

**The Doctor's Not Himself**

Captain Devron had received the order to call off the search for the Master, and was not at all pleased about it. His objections to the King fell on deaf ears. Like Jason, Aaron had concluded that the renegade Time Lord would not be found after so much time had past, and his son had run into Tegan, literally, before he could tell him not to call off the search.

The reluctant Captain of the guard eventually bowed to the wishes of his sovereign, hating the thought of having to sit and wait for the Master to resurface. So many lives had been lost in the confrontation in the capital city of Krystos. It wasn't something he wanted repeated with his own men.

* * *

Having experienced the same massive jolt as the Doctor, the Master returned to his place on the balcony. This way he could continue his pretense of convalescence while keeping an eye on the Doctor's TARDIS. His enemy could not stay hidden indefinitely. Sooner or later he would have to make a try for his preposterous Police Box.

Hearing Tegan and the protesting Jason below, something (call it his sixth sense or his instinct for survival) suddenly warned the Master that things were dangerously amiss. He immediately hid from view, taking refuge in the shaded doorway. From there, he watched in astonishment as Tegan glanced up to the balcony, pulled out her TARDIS key, unlocked the door and entered, yanking the confused Alterran in behind her.

The Master ground his teeth in annoyance. There could be no doubt that he had just witnessed another example of his rival's resourcefulness. Tegan's cautious glance was confirmation enough that, even in his altered state, the Doctor had been able to convince his companions of his true identity.

* * *

The Doctor had sufficiently recovered his strength to stand and was in the process of setting the coordinates for the Crystal Cavern. A concerned Turlough stood uneasily behind him. The boy had been unable to dissuade the exhausted Time Lord from rising from the floor and did not like the way he kept wavering on his feet.

The Doctor was convinced the link was close to the breaking point, and should it be severed unexpectedly, then Turlough would have the misfortune of finding himself in the company of the real Master. Not wanting to chance this, the Doctor decided to go to the Crystal Cavern on his own and wait there for the link to break.

"I really do hate these short hops," the Doctor sighed as he double-checked the coordinates. "It's easier moving from one planet to another than just—" He broke off as the exterior doors suddenly swung open. "Did you do that?" he asked his equally surprised companion.

Before Turlough could reply, another amazing thing happened. Tegan calmly entered the console room, key in hand.

"Good grief, Tegan!" the Doctor gasped. "Whatever made you…?" His voice trailed off as Jason came in behind her.

"Oh, no," Turlough moaned. "Things are going from bad to worse."

Jason's eyes narrowed hatefully at the sight of the man he assumed had murdered his fiancée. He clenched his fists, a growl rumbling from his throat. This caused Turlough to position himself between the Doctor and volatile Alterran. Not that he would be able to do anything should Jason decide to advance. Having seen him in action, Turlough knew he would be powerless to stop him.

Tegan was having similar thoughts and wished she had not acted so hastily in getting the Prince to the TARDIS without warning him as to why. Now it was too late. "I asked Jason about that mind-bonding process," she said at last, "and…I believe you now." She threw and apologetic look in Turlough's direction.

The Doctor smiled approvingly. "Good girl. But just now I think it might be more advantageous if Jason were to believe me, wouldn't you agree?"

Seeing Tegan nod Jason's face darkened further. "What're you playing at?" he snarled threateningly. "What lies could you possibly get them to believe?"

The Doctor took a step toward the glowering Alterran, only to stop when Turlough caught him by the arm. "Are you sure this is wise?" the young man asked close to his ear. "You remember what happened the last time the Master got too close to him."

The Doctor did not like the idea any more than Turlough. "I'll have to take that chance," he snapped back. "We're running out of time."

This did nothing to ease Turlough's mind.

Turning to Jason, the Doctor said, "No matter what I tell you, you'll never believe it—"

"Right first time."

"—And I don't have time for lengthy explanations. But I believe your senses will verify the truth—if you'll let them—and then we can go on from there."

Jason was mystified by this ambiguous statement, and despite himself, shrank back slightly as the dark figure drew closer.

"I want you to scan me, Jason," the Doctor requested in as even a tone as he could manage.

"Why?"

"Because I'm the Doctor. And this is the quickest way for me to prove it to you." _I hope,_ he thought.

Jason blinked. "Because you're _what?_"

"It's true!" Turlough insisted.

"Turlough, this is crazy!" the Alterran protested. "Has everyone taken leave of their senses?"

"Jason, there's no time for this!" the Doctor snapped impatiently, taking hold of one of the Prince's outstretched hands. "Now would you please—?"

The instant the Doctor touched him, Jason let out an involuntary cry of alarm as a flood of conflicting information suddenly bombarded his senses. He snatched his hand away as if it had just been thrust into boiling water. Wide-eyed, he slowly backed away, shocked and terrified. "Wh… what…_are _you?" he breathed.

The Doctor had expected a violent reaction of one kind or another and was relieved that his friend hadn't chosen to forgo the scan in order to strangle him. He did not, as yet, know that a Time Lord's aura was unusually strong and registered on Jason's senses instantly, leaving him no choice but to scan it.

Turlough could sympathize with the Prince, having gone through a similarly shocking experience himself. "Rather a convincing argument, isn't it?" he said mildly.

Dazed and shaking, Jason tried to answer, but all that came out were panicky squeaks. He struggled to get hold of himself but could not seem to stop trembling.

The Doctor resisted with every fiber of his being the urge to go to his confused friend, fearing it would only make matters worse, just as it had with Tegan. This did not go unobserved by the Australian, who went over to the Prince and put a hand on his arm. "Jason, are you alright?" she asked gently.

Jason closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. "I will be—I think," he replied shakily.

"What happened?"

"How…? How can I put this?" he sighed. How could he possibly translate the incredible—Impossible!—information that had just inundated his senses? Taking another deep breath to steady himself, Jason said, "There were two distinct time auras. Time Lords. But…completely separate identities. They were—_are_—overlapping each other, fighting for dominance." He studied the dark figure before him as if seeing him for the first time.

"And they are?" the figure prompted gently.

"The Master," Jason responded softly, "and…the Doctor."


	22. 36 Explanations and Speculations

**Chapter 36**

**Explanations And Speculations**

During the unsettling scan Jason had not only discovered the Doctor's identity, but had also detected the cuts the Time Lord had inflicted on himself when he dove through the courtroom window. The Healer retrieved a medical kit and proceeded to treat the injuries, the ever present time aura reinforcing the true identity of the dark figure now relating the whole bizarre story to him.

After completing his tale The Doctor paused in order to give his friend time to absorb it. "A little overwhelming, isn't it?" he said finally.

Shaking his head, Jason replied, "I think _overwhelming_ might be the understatement of the century, Doctor."

The Alterran's remark brought a startled look to the faces of the Doctor's companions, who were amazed at how he had unflinchingly changed gears and was now calling the Time Lord by name with conspicuous ease. This was something Tegan could not bring herself to do, and Turlough was still finding difficult.

"You know something?" Jason sighed. "Tegan's been right all along, and I've just been too blind to see it."

"Me?" Tegan was baffled.

"Yes, _you_. You've been saying all along that the Doctor hasn't been himself since you found him yesterday."

"That's right!" cried Turlough.

"I'd say that's probably one of the most astute observations I've ever heard." Jason turned to the Time Lord and could not help adding, "Wouldn't you—Doctor?"

"Indeed, I would," the Doctor replied. "Well done, Tegan."

Tegan received the praise with a glowing smile. "Not bad for a brainless female, eh?" she shot quietly to Turlough, who merely shrugged noncommittally. He was not about to let on how impressed he was also.

"Oh, why am I always so stupid?" Jason moaned, closing the medical kit with a bang.

"My dear Jason," the Doctor began calmly, "this is hardly the sort of thing one expects to come across—"

"Don't you see?" the Prince interrupted. "I should've suspected something more. I know more about the effects of the process than anyone."

"But, Jason," Tegan injected, "you told me yourself that it isn't used anymore. You had no reason to even consider it."

"With the Master around, I should've considered everything. I mean, it wasn't even an hour after I found—" Jason broke off, unable to say Shadra's name. A pained expression swept over his face.

"It's difficult to think clearly when grieving," the Doctor pointed out gently. "Perhaps that was the idea."

Jason chose not to respond, going on with his observations. "Within a few hours, the Master's been arrested, tried and sentenced to death. Amazing! No loose ends to tie up. A nice, neat little package dropped straight into out laps."

"All the facts nicely doctored by a master of deception," the Doctor added mildly.

Jason shot him a sideways glance before rolling his eyes. At the same time, he suddenly realized that this was something else about his friend's character that had been missing. His appallingly bad timing for equally bad jokes. He went on to recount the evidence that, to him, pointing to a conclusion that was now glaringly obvious. The rival Time Lords had been found at almost exactly the same spot along the path leading to the Crystal Cavern. He and his father suspected that "the Doctor" had undergone a psychic attack, which he could not recall. Despite this, the Time Lord refused to allow Jason to scan him. This point alone was significant. Then Tegan and Turlough had started noticing drastic behavioral changes, including violent mood swings and an uncharacteristically secretive demeanor.

"I had no idea I was so predictable," the Doctor remarked.

"I'd say more idiosyncratic," Jason corrected thoughtfully. "And that's another thing. I've never known you to keep your distance. You've always been, if you'll forgive me, a toucher. But ever since this whole farce began, that impostor's been keeping me at arm's length."

"Yes, I noticed that in the detention area."

Jason looked up sharply, suddenly remembering the death threats he had made, as well as the Time Lord's terrified expression in response. He opened his mouth to apologize only to be forestalled by an upraised hand. "This isn't the time for recriminations," the Doctor stated bluntly. "Just remember, you said it. You didn't act on it." He received a weak smile in reply. "You know, it's just possible the Master's kept his distance so you wouldn't try scanning him surreptitiously."

"I wouldn't have to. Try, that is. The Master's a Time Lord."

"I am aware of that, Jason. What has that to do with it?"

"It has everything to do with it," the Alterran replied in a slightly indignant tone. He went on to explain that as a time sensitive, a Time Lord generated a very distinct and abnormally powerful aura that he registered the instant he was touched. This even included the slightest brushing against his exposed skin. In fact, the time aura was so powerful that it gave him a nasty jolt if he wasn't prepared for it. "I don't think I could handle it if everybody threw off an aura like that," Jason observed.

"Hand on a minute," Turlough broke in. "Do you mean to say, if I touched you now, you'd register nothing?"

"Initially, yes."

"But you do whenever he does?" Turlough waved a hand in the Doctor's direction, adding, "Every time?"

"Yes…well, no, now that you mention it. When a Time Lord withdraws, mentally retreats as it were, the power throwing off the aura is drawn in as well."

The Doctor took this all in, marveling. If only he had known about it sooner. It would have spared him the exhausting process of convincing Turlough who he was.

"At the Institute," Tegan said softly, "that's why you thought the Doctor was dead. There was no instant aura."

"Strange, isn't it? There there was no aura, and now, there are two. And two Time Lord, at that!" Turning to the unusually silent Doctor, Jason said, "Now, all we have to do is get yours back where it belongs."

"Well, you don't have to go far," Tegan snorted. "Since yesterday, that's been the balcony."

Jason caught his breath. "The balcony! Good Lord, Tegan, we came out under the balcony!"

The Doctor was already activating the scanner when the Alterran turned to him. He focused on the balcony, zooming in on the shaded area where his enemy had been spending most of his time. The chairs were empty, and Tegan explained that she had checked to see if the impostor was there before dragging Jason into the TARDIS. She was positive the Master was elsewhere.

The Doctor was not so easily convinced and began punching a complex entry into the computer. The image on the viewer changed into a mass of colorful blobs in a swirling parody of a photographic negative. After a few careful turns of the dial, the image came into focus; the distinct reddish-orange outline of a man standing motionless in the shadow of the doorway.

"There's someone there!" Tegan gasped.

"But…it could be anyone," Turlough said unconvincingly. "It could be—"

"It's me," the Doctor stated despairingly.

Instinctively, Jason reached over to him, catching himself when his hand was within inches of his shoulder. Compassion overrode self-preservation, however, and he put a consoling hand on his friend's arm, being relieved to find the thick velvet clothing shielded him from the dual aural identities. "Doctor…?" the Prince ventured gently.

"I programmed the computer to detect my biological makeup," the Doctor informed somberly.

"_Now_ what do we do?" Turlough asked of no one in particular, throwing a glance in Tegan's directions. "Don't look at me!" she exclaimed. "All this is making me dizzy."

"Oh, Tegan," the Doctor groaned, "please, don't mention dizziness. I've had quite enough to last me—"

"Dizziness!" Jason gasped. "You, too? That's the onset of the instability when you both—" Cutting himself off, he said in an urgent voice, "Doctor, we've got to get you to the Crystal Cavern immediately."

"What?" The Doctor was taken aback by this sudden and violent change in mood.

"To reverse the process."

"My dear Jason, at the rate it's going, the instability will sever the link and reverse the process very soon."

"No! You don't understand!" Tegan cried, suddenly remembering why she had dragged Jason to the TARDIS in the first place.

"Doctor, the process can _only_ be reversed in the Cavern," Jason informed. "The only thing the growing instability will do is kill you."

The Doctor received this devastating piece of information in silence. _Well, that definitely changes everything_.

But Jason had not finished. "And I'm afraid the Master has the advantage. When the lethal surge of instability hits, it'll probably trigger a regeneration for him. And you don't have that op­tion any…" His voice trailed off as he realized that he had just, in effect, read the Doctor's death sentence. Lowering his eyes, he said regretfully, "I'm sorry. I didn't put that very delicately, did I?"

The Time Lord smiled affectionately. "My dear Jason, I fear the time for delicacy has long past us by." He put a reassuring hand on his friend's arm. Unfortunately, the light summer clothing the Prince was wearing was poor insulation against the powerful dual auras and he recoiled without thinking.

"Sorry. I just wasn't expecting—" Interrupting himself, Jason said, "This is exactly what I meant about your not being distant."

"A toucher, I believe you said," the Doctor observed mildly, looking thoughtfully at the hand that had twice caused his friend undue distress. "For your sake, I think I'd best become distant. At least until after this process is reversed, anyway."

The Alterran nodded, giving him a weak smile.

"Great. Now, how do we convince the Master?" Turlough asked pointedly.

All eyes turned to the spectral image on the viewer.

"Any ideas?" asked the Doctor.


	23. 37 Mounting Instability

**Chapter 37**

**Mounting Instability**

The Master was startled out of his vigil when a knock came at the door. He whirled around just as King Aaron entered carrying a small tray.

"I'm sorry you're still feeling poorly, Doctor," Aaron said urbanely. "Tegan said you were still experiencing some dizziness, so I took the liberty of bringing you more of the restorative you said helped before."

Although extremely annoyed, the pretender kept his voice light. "That's awfully kind of you, Aaron, but you shouldn't've gone to so much trouble. I'm sure you've more important problems to contend with. Especially with the Master still at large."

"Perhaps," the monarch hedged. The puzzled look he received caused him to sigh heavily. "Doctor, let's be frank. For Jason's sake, we tolerate one another and that's about it."

While intrigued, the bogus Doctor was unable to think of a suitable reply and smiled weakly, inwardly wishing the King would get to the point.

"Jason can be a little emotional…"

Having been nearly strangled by the overwrought Prince at the Institute, the Master scoffed at this observation. "My dear Aaron, saying Jason is a little emotional is like calling a hurricane a nice ocean breeze."

The King cleared his throat. "Then you can appreciate how remarkably in control of himself he's been during this entire, tragic affair."

"Indeed."

Aaron put down the tray and looked meaningfully at the Time Lord. "I attribute this solely to your presence here. Jason values your friendship, Doctor, and I know he'd never forgive me if I didn't do all I could while you were here."

_Now the truth comes out_, the Master thought. He lowered his head and bowed slightly to give the impression of accepting the explanation and medication offered by the Alterran monarch.

Relieved to have gotten all this off of his chest, the King turned to leave, stopping when the Time Lord called out in a purposely hesitant voice, "If I might make one request, Aaron?" He then asked if it were possible that he not be disturbed for the remainder of the day, pointing out that if he were ever to clear his mind, he needed to meditate in complete solitude.

The monarch happily agreed, stating that he would give orders to that effect immediately.

With this final intrusion ended, the Master dismissed the tray with a glance, turning his attention back to the exterior door. Suddenly another surge from the fluctuating psychic link struck him, sending him down on to his hands and knees. The instability was now crushingly strong and the sensation of being pulled apart clawed savagely at his rapidly depleting strength. When the wave finally subsided, he collapsed to the floor, only semi-conscious and gasping for breath.

* * *

The occupants of the TARDIS had watched in bewilderment when the Master stepped away from the doorway. Could he be planning a confrontation? Or was he simply amassing the Palace Guard?

The answer became obvious when the Doctor suddenly reeled back, dropping from the force of the massive jolt of instability. Turlough and Jason caught him as he fell, lowering him gently to the floor. They could feel his body stiffen in their hands as he struggled unsuccessfully to control the imbalance.

Bracing himself, Jason took hold of one of the Doctor's hands, wincing in pain as it clamped tightly onto his. He felt the auras separate: one fading (the Doctor), the other strengthening (the Master.) The stress this induced physically and mentally horrified him and Jason wished there were some way he could reassure his friend that he was not alone, but seriously doubted he was even aware of anyone being with him any longer.

To the Alterran's great relief, the wave subsided and the dual auras returned to their previously overlapping state. He released the Doctor's hand, watching helplessly as the Time Lord convulsed in a final spasm before slumping limply back onto the floor, unconscious and breathing heavily.

Closing his eyes, the Prince sighed heavily before slowly lifting his gaze to the Doctor's companions, his grave expression saying everything.

"Is there nothing we can do?" Turlough asked plaintively.

"I don't know," Jason replied gravely. He took hold of the Doctor's hand again, his eyes glazing over momentarily as he made a thorough scan. He then produced a small notebook and pencil, seemingly from nowhere, and began scribbling down some instructions. "Tegan, do you think you could prepare a glassful of this for me?" he asked, tearing off the paper and handing it to her. "Everything you need is in my old room and clearly labeled."

Going down the list of ingredients, Tegan nodded. She would have attempted anything, no matter what, but was relieved to see the instructions were not extremely complicated.

Turlough waited until she had gone before asking, "Just how bad is he?"

Jason sighed, shaking his head. "Pretty bad. I don't know if he's strong enough to withstand another jolt like that."

"I was afraid of that. Every time is worse than the last. And they seem to be getting closer together."

"Yes, that's the instability's pattern. What I don't understand is how it's advanced so quickly. The deterioration of the link should take weeks to get to this stage, yet it's happened overnight."

"Weeks? Are you sure?"

"Positive. In fact, I think Tegan stumbled across you two just in time. If you'd left him in the Crystal Cavern—"

"I never should've left him in the first place!" Turlough exclaimed, feeling an uncharacteristic pang of guilt. "This never would've happened if I hadn't left him alone."

"I doubt that," the Prince said softly. "Do you really think your being around would've stopped the Master? He'd've waited for another opportunity—or just killed you outright."

Turlough was aghast, the latter having never occurred to him. He had been going on the assumption that the Master needed both of the Doctor's companions for his impersonation.

"Shadra's murder must've been part of the stratagem to get the Doctor captured and executed right away," Jason went on. "If you were killed along the way…well, what's one more death to the Master?"

_Nothing compared to what it is to me_, Turlough thought uneasily. He glanced over to the viewer. "Well, at least we've one consolation. Wherever he is, the Master's probably no better off than the Doctor right now."

Jason followed his gaze, seeing the spectral image of the Master had not reappeared. He nodded his agreement, but knew his friend to be wrong. When he had scanned the Doctor, he had also detected traces of the drugs the Master had administered that were still faintly present in his system.

* * *

As Jason suspected, the Master was already picking himself up off of the floor, having the added advantage of the Doctor's amazingly resilient constitution. He got tenuously to his feet and shook his head as if to dislodge any effects that might still be lingering. The first thing he saw when his vision cleared was the rejected tray containing Aaron's miraculous herbal restorative.

* * *

Tegan returned, glass in hand, and came to stand beside Jason. "How's he doing?"

"Still very weak," he told her, "but he's stabilized and seems to be breathing easier. Thank goodness."

Tegan nodded absently and went over to the control console where she stood shifting uncomfortably on her feet. There was something curiously reassuring about the Doctor and she always felt safe in his presence. (Well, most of the time, anyway.) Yet, in spite of what she knew to be the truth, she could find nothing reassuring about the dark figure stretched out on the floor and was very glad Jason and Turlough were there with her, notwithstanding the questioning looks they were now giving her.

"I can't help it!" she burst out finally. "I feel so guilty. It's like…I'm betraying the Doctor somehow."

"But, Tegan—"

Turlough's reproof was cut off by a restraining hand and shake of the head from Prince Jason. "You've had all night to get used to the idea," he reminded firmly. Rising to his feet, he went over to the console. "Tegan, you mustn't let what you're feeling upset you. It's a perfectly natural human reaction—"

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Tegan snapped back caustically, and for a split second Jason thought he might end up wearing the drink he had sent her to prepare. "You don't seem bothered by any of this." Angry more with herself than anyone else, she turned away, putting the glass on the console. "Right now…I could kill him with a good heart!"

"Oh, so that's it…" Jason muttered. "My dear Tegan, in case you've forgotten, I'm not human. _And_ I happen to be a bit more familiar with people changing their appearance."

Tegan looked at him and lowered her eyes, feeling ashamed of her outburst. This caused Jason to feel a little ashamed of himself for the harshness of his reply. With a heavy sigh, and in a gentler manner, he went on to confess to the fact that he, too, had been finding it difficult to control the burning hatred he felt for the Master. He looked sorrowfully down at the defenseless Time Lord who so desperately needed their help.

"It's ironic," the Prince said softly. "When I walked through _that_ door, and saw _that_ face, all I wanted was to see him dead. And now…now, I'd give my eyeteeth to keep him alive."

From the floor, a weak voice drifted up. "Alterrans don't have eyeteeth."


	24. 38 Now What Do We Do?

**Chapter 38**

"**Now What Do We Do?"**

Startled, the Doctor's companions turned to see him smiling weakly up at them. "But I do appreciate the thought," he added quietly. He tried to sit up, only to fall back, too weak to manage it alone. As Turlough helped him up, Jason took the mixture Tegan had prepared and knelt down beside him. "Here, Doctor, drink this. It'll help you get your strength back."

Supported by Turlough, the Doctor gave the orange-brown liquid a quizzical look. "What is it?"

"A dose of poison," Jason snapped impatiently.

The Time Lord's eyebrows went up. "Indeed?" he said mildly.

Realizing the implications of his thoughtless remark, Jason blushed vividly, attempting a tangled explanation that only made matters worse. "Oh, never mind!" he sputtered finally. "Just drink it."

"I was only curious," the Doctor grinned innocently, taking full advantage of the underlying purr the Master's voice could accomplish. He drank the mixture and returned the empty glass to the flustered Alterran. He then tried to stand, only to find, to his annoyance, that it was too difficult on his own.

"Easy, Doctor," Jason soothed as he assisted the Time Lord to his feet. "You've just taken an awful beating."

The Doctor pulled away in anger and frustration. "Jason, we've no time for this!" he growled irritably, having to grab the console to keep from falling. "We've got to get the Master off that balcony and into the Crystal Cavern." By this time, his mind was racing. _There had to be some way_. Unfortunately, he kept coming back to the same frightfully unthinkable conclusion. The only way to get the Master to the Cavern…

"I'm going to have to take him there," Jason stated flatly, not liking the idea any better than the Doctor.

"What?"

"I said—"

"I know what you said," the Time Lord interrupted sharply. "I'm just confused as to how you came to that conclusion."

"Oh, no, you're not," the Prince countered forcefully. "You know perfectly well it's the only way. You're just afraid to suggest it. It's like…choosing the volunteer for a suicide mission."

"But, why you?" Tegan wanted to know.

"Well, for starters, I'm the only one here who's supposed to know the Cavern even exists."

The Doctor sighed, conceding, "And he's also better equipped to deal with the Master one-on-one." Looking his friend in the eye, he said seriously, "It's still very dangerous, Jason."

"I know. Have you a better idea?"

The Doctor was forced to admit that he did not, going on to admit that he also knew there was no alternative. He grudgingly laid out the stratagem he had hoped to avoid. Jason would have to get close enough to the Master to either stun him or take him by force. This would not be easy since the Master would invariably see him leaving the TARDIS. If caught, he would allow himself to be "forced" into revealing the Doctor's whereabouts.

The Doctor cautioned his friend to be extremely careful, mentioning the veiled threats his enemy had made at the time of the exchange. As an afterthought, he also requested that the Palace Guard be alerted as to what was going on.

"I really don't want to be shot due to a case of mistaken identity," the Time Lord stated sharply.

"My dear old friend," Jason said affectionately, "you can't possibly think I'd allow that to happen. Not after all this! I'll go straight to Father as soon as I leave."

"Splendid!" the Doctor enthused. "No time like the present to get underway."

"And if something goes wrong?" asked the eternal pessimist Turlough.

Jason turned to the dark figure who was now the Doctor to see his eyes twinkling back with a look that was, oh, so familiar. "I know. I know. Improvise!"

* * *

Watching from the shadows, the Master saw Jason emerge from the TARDIS and walk purposefully to the Palace, vanishing beneath the balcony. A few seconds later, the Police Box dematerialized. Turning thoughtfully from the doorway, the Master's hand stroked the beard that was no longer there as he considered this latest snag in his plans. "So, Doctor," he crooned, "you're on the run. But to where, I wonder?"

Crossing to a table, the Master pulled a box from a drawer, an evil grin parting his lips. He took out a squared off gray bar, popping open its casing to check the mass of wires and printed circuits it contained. Closing the casing with a snap, he gave a satisfied grunt, toasting his own colossal genius with the last of the herbal mixture. He then began removing more parts from the box and fitting them together. Time for Prince Jason to play his part he thought. And this time, the hot-tempered Alterran would not get the upper hand. This time, he would be ready for him. A chuckle rumbled forth at this very pleasant thought.

* * *

"No, Jason, I won't allow it. It's much too dangerous," the King stated flatly. He did not share his son's unshakable faith in the Doctor, or his plan, which was, to say the least, dubious. Too many things could go wrong.

"I'm aware of the risks, Father, and I'm willing to take them," Jason replied fiercely. "I've got to! The link is deteriorating exponentially. The Doctor doesn't have the strength to withstand another pass of instability. And if the Master even suspects an ambush, he'll disappear and regenerate. Then we'll _never_ find him!"

The King silently studied his son's set expression, having seen the defiant look more times than he cared to count. They had clashed on numerous occasions and, more often than not, Jason backed down, but when the Doctor was involved the boy always stood by his friend, no matter what. It was a steadfast loyalty that Aaron was not sure he should be annoyed or proud of.

"Jason, I'm sure we can find some other way—"

"No, Father. The Master would spot a substitute in a heartbeat," his son countered. "You'll just have to make sure the Palace Guards synchronize their watches. The Cavalry's supposed to arrive in the nick of time, you know."

Aaron sighed heavily. "Jason, just once do you think you could try speaking the same language I am?"

Jason laughed in spite of himself. In his excitement, he had forgotten his father never understood any of the expressions he had picked up during his travels with the Doctor. "Just make sure the Palace Guards know what's going on and don't start shooting at the wrong person," he said helpfully.

Not waiting for a reply, the Prince turned and quickly headed for the door. Just as he pulled it open, his father called him back and he stopped, half expecting another round of arguing. To his amazement, Aaron beamed proudly at him and wished him luck. Jason smiled weakly and left, leaning heavily against the door once he was in the hall.

"Good luck," he said under his breath. "Boy, am I going to need it."

* * *

The wheezing and groaning of the TARDIS materializing broke the serene silence of the Crystal Cavern. The Doctor was the first to emerge, his awestruck companions coming out behind him. He cautioned them to stay clear of the raised platforms, as he crossed to the starburst con­trol console and started to examine it. He found the drawer where the Master had deposited the syringes and pulled them out, giving each a cautious taste. "Nasty stuff," he grunted in distaste. "No wonder I couldn't think straight."

As he returned the needles to the drawer, a flash of light caught the Time Lord's attention and he looked inside, seeing, to his elation, a key wedged in a corner. "Hal-lo," he intoned. "What have we here?"

"Find something interesting?" Turlough inquired, pulling his attention away from his extraordinary surroundings.

"Does this qualify?" the Doctor asked, holding up the key.

"What is it?"

"Well, incase I miss my guess, I'd say it's a key to the Master's TARDIS." With a grin, the Time Lord asked, "Want to help me find it?"


	25. 39 Taken Prisoner

**Chapter 39**

**Taken Prisoner**

Jason returned to the room from which Tegan had unceremoniously dragged him in order to retrieve his cloak. Since he wore it so much of the time, he felt he could conceal a weapon beneath it without arousing suspicion.

Jason had no sooner put the garment on when Baylore appeared at the door requesting that he accompany him. The Prince bristled. As if he didn't have enough to worry about, now he was expected to get involved in explaining everything to the Palace Guard! He threw the officer a baleful look, having assumed his father to have sent him as a delaying tactic. Then a sudden thought struck him. _What was Baylore doing playing errand boy? Wasn't he Assistant Transmat Operations Officer? Yes, of course he was. _Jason clearly remembered him being the one on duty when he returned from Krystos the day before.

"Baylore, I thought you were supposed to be—" The Prince's sentence was never completed. Just as he looked up, there was a blue flash and then nothing.

* * *

The Doctor had located the Master's TARDIS with conspicuous ease. It had disguised itself as a rock formation that jutted from the wall near where the Master had appeared from the shadows. Even though this was the reason the search was begun there, it was not the reason it had been found. The crystals covering the time machine's exterior surface were still blinking in the random patterns the Doctor had seen when he first entered the cave. But those in the main Cavern were pulsing in unison. The Doctor wondered if the altered behavior was due to the deterioration of the link and watched the rhythmic pulsing a fascination. "It's almost like someone breathing," he observed quietly.

Returning to the task at hand, the Doctor unlocked the Master's TARDIS, ordering his companions to wait while he entered alone. Never one to trust his enemy, he made a quick check for booby traps before allowing Tegan and Turlough to enter. The Time Lord then announced their first order of business was to destroy the documents stolen from the Institute, all of which the Master had very likely left in mountain of paper just inside the inner door.

As he was showing his companions what to remove, the Doctor discovered all the data from Jason's tests had been carefully set aside. "Like choosing the volunteer for a suicide mission," he said under this breath as he examined the intricately detailed paperwork. Was it possible he had done exactly that?

* * *

Jason dazedly became aware of being led through the halls of the Palace and realized almost immediately what had happened. Baylore had used the lowest setting on his weapon to stun him, inducing the trance-like state from which he was slowly emerging. The Prince continued the pretense of submissiveness in order to regain his senses completely, the fog in his mind lifting just as he was led into the Doctor's suite. The guard was obviously in league with the Master, and Jason pulled sharply away, snatching Baylore's gun from its holster in the process.

"You recover very quickly, my Prince," came the Doctor's voice from behind him.

Jason spun around to see the impostor standing in the bedroom doorway, the TCE aimed straight at him.

"And you can drop the pretense of surprise," the Master went on. "I'm already well aware of the fact that you know who I am."

"I see. Is that why you had me dragged up here by force?" Jason asked contemptuously, surrendering the weapon to Baylore. As he did so, he saw for the first time the blank expression on the guard's face and wanted to kick himself for failing to notice it sooner. He knew mind control to be the Master's favorite method of enslavement, having fought off the Time Lord's attempt to control him during their first encounter.

The Master wagged an admonishing finger at the glowering Alterran. "Let's not get unpleasant, your highness. I only want to ask you a few questions. Surely you don't object to that?"

Jason did not respond, although his expression clearly indicated that he objected a great deal.

"Where is the Doctor?"

The Prince gave an amused grunt. "You don't _really_ expect me to tell you _that,_ do you?"

"Eventually," the Master purred.

Jason stiffened when Baylore leveled his weapon at him but remained adamant in his refusal to divulge the Doctor's location.

The Master nodded and the guard fired what should have been another stunning shot. Jason, however, remained bright-eyed and alert and grinned in amusement at the bewildered Time Lord. "Just incase you didn't know," he informed innocently, "the trance inducer only works when the victim is caught off guard."

The Master ground his teeth in anger, motioning the Alterran back with the TCE, a weapon he knew he feared. He crossed to a nearby table, opening the box and removing the device he had assembled earlier. On the table beside it Jason noticed an empty carafe bearing his father's insignia, the implications instantly clear. He returned his gaze to the device in his abductor's hands and scowled. It looked like a pair of manacles attached to an energy pack. Electronic handcuffs?

"You've _got_ to be kidding?" the Alterran said in distaste. He knew the Master was no fool, yet here he was trying to bind him. He merely had to alter his hands to slip free.

"Humor me," the Time Lord grinned. "Consider it—a life insurance policy."

Jason could not help giving way to an amused smile. _Life insurance indeed_, he thought, having made particular note of his captor's wariness towards him, even with Baylore present. He needed only a second or two to transmute, but the telltale shimmering it produced would be enough to alert the Master and his subjugated bodyguard. At this close range, Jason felt certain he could overpower the impostor without getting himself killed. He could not, however, do that and take on another Alterran (specifically Baylore) at the same time. With this in mind, he grudgingly submitted to the indignity.

With a resigned sigh, Jason held out his hands, only to have his captor shake his head and motion that he turn around. He glared at him a moment and then rolled his eyes. _Okay, I'll play along,_ Jason thought, moving his cloak out of the way and putting his hands behind his back.

"Thank-you, my Prince," the Master chirped brightly. He clamped the cuffs on the young man's wrists and touched a small button, activating the unit.

The same instant, a sharp, blinding pain sliced through Jason's brain causing him to cry out and stagger a few steps. He shook his head vigorously, blinking hard several times to clear his vision. "What the hell was that!" he demanded.

"Just the activation of the power unit," the bogus Doctor replied blandly.

The Alterran Prince was now completely baffled. What was the point of all this when he could escape so easily?

"Go ahead and try," the Master said challengingly in reply to his captive's thoughts. He slipped the TCE into a pocket, folded his arms and stood back to watch.

Jason gave him a quizzical look before accepting the challenge. He concentrated on his hands and pulled.

Nothing happened.

Puzzled, the Alterran tried again. His wrists remained firmly clamped in their metal bonds. He looked at the gloating Time Lord in shock. "This is _impossible!_" he cried, tugging at the manacles without success.

"You'll only exhaust yourself, if you keep that up. That unit has been keyed to your brainwaves and—as you can see—is quite effectively suppressing your ability to transmute," the Master informed devastatingly.

Jason's eyes grew wide in horror. "Th…these are keyed…to _my_ brainwaves?" he stammered unbelievingly.

The Master nodded, clearly enjoying himself.

"Me…_specifically?"_

Jason received an evil grin in reply and blanched visibly, feeling a wave of panic rise up inside him. How could he be so stupid! The Doctor even made a point of warning him the Master had gotten hold of the test resultsWhy didn't he listen? Instead, he had let his own arrogance and pride in his invulnerability get in the way of his better judgment. Baylore's presence had merely been a ruse to throw him off, which it had done brilliantly. It was all too obvious now that the evil Time Lord had been prepared for this confrontation all along. But to what end…?


	26. 40 The Misleading Prince

**Chapter 40**

**The Misleading Prince**

Jason was snapped back to reality when the Master suddenly demanded, "Where is the Doctor?"

The force of the mental energy exerted by his captor hit Jason like a wall of heat, forcing him to take an alarmed step back. Apparently, the bindings had also been geared to make his mind more receptive to the Master's will. He forced himself to concentrate, fighting the attempt to control him by superimposing the face he hated above all others over that of the Doctor.

"Where is the Doctor?" the Master demanded again.

The Prince clenched his teeth and said nothing, glaring defiantly back at his captor.

"You will accept my will!"

"No!" Jason snapped. "I won't!"

The distress of the Crown Prince suddenly caused the mist in Baylore's mind to clear, and the Master's control to slip. He was sworn to protect the Royal family, not stand idly by as they were…No, he must obey the Master. Obey the…the Master? But this was the Doctor, surely?

The sudden, unexpected breakdown of control infuriated the Master. He broke off his interrogation to concentrate on the practically incoherent officer but found he could not reestablish control. With a growl of annoyance, the Master took the gun from Baylore's hand and fired it pointblank. He then tossed the weapon carelessly aside, watching dispassionately as the blue energy beam engulfed the unsuspecting Alterran.

Baylore twisted and jerked horribly in the ball of energy, a scream of agony frozen in his throat. Within seconds, the lattice of his crystalline molecular structure was completely shattered, all the color draining from his body. He fell dead to the floor, practically at the Prince's feet.

Revolted by the act of wanton violence, Jason turned away, looking up in rage when he heard a satisfied chuckle rumble from the Master's throat. "There was no reason for that," he spat angrily.

The Master ignored the remark, returning the angry stare with one of amplified malevolence. Jason instantly felt the Time Lord's rage clamp down on him, forcing him slowly and painfully to his knees. Up until this point, the Master had been successfully exploiting the fact that Alterrans no longer utilized their telepathic abilities. But, this was not the case when it came to the Crown Prince. During his time with the Doctor, Jason had been trained to use his telepathic powers and had learned several techniques to shield his mind from attack. Techniques he was now utilizing to their fullest capacity, much to the extreme annoyance of the Master.

"You will accept my will!" the enraged Time Lord thundered.

"No…no…" the Prince gasped out painfully, desperately battling the forces trying to enervate his mind. Inwardly, he was thankful the Master had been mentally weakened by the waves of instability he had endured. Notwithstanding his father's restorative, Jason felt he still had a slight edge. But for how long?

"Where is the Doctor?" the Master shouted. "You will tell me, boy!"

Crouched on the floor and uncertain as to whether he could withstand any further abuse, Jason finally gave in. "He…he's gone…to the…Crystal Cavern," he gasped out.

"Why?"

No answer.

"_Why!"_

Jason actually felt the question physically strike him. "To…to reverse…the mind-bonding… process."

"Is that possible?"

"Yes," came the meek reply. "With outsiders, the process is reversible."

The Master moved away to consider this response, not realizing that in doing so he was alerting his captive that he did not know as much about the process as he claimed.

Feeling completely drained, Jason sagged, grateful to be given this time to recover. He decided it best to continue his pretense of submission (as the Doctor had instructed) and remained meekly on the floor. His gaze fell on the fractured body of the ill-fated Baylore, triggering a momentary wave of terror. Now that the Master knew the Doctor's location, was there any reason to keep him alive? In his present condition, he was powerless to fend off any attempt on his life. No, Jason told himself, you have got to stay calm. The Doctor had been fond of saying the one weapon that couldn't be taken away from you was your intellect, which had always annoyed his Alterran friend, who preferred to let his emotions guide him. Now was not the time for emotionalism, however. It was time to be smart and the smart thing to do was nothing. He needed to continue his pretense of submission until an opportunity for escape presented itself.

The Master had also been thinking things through and was cursing the fact that he had been forced to eliminate the unreliable Baylore. His plan had been to take the subdued Prince to the Crystal Cavern via the transmat, securing him in the computer center before confronting the Doctor. Now, he would have to take the troublesome aristocrat through the main entrance.

"On your feet," the Master snarled, taking hold of Jason's arm and dragging him up.

The Prince allowed the rough yank to his feet, trying to ignore the metal bindings biting painfully into his wrists. When the Time Lord's hand touched his exposed skin, he could not ignore the dual auras assaulting him with the same amplified intensity of the Master's mental attack. He let out a cry of pain, pulling sharply away and falling back against the wall, clearly shaken.

"It would appear I was wise to keep you at arm's length after all," the bogus Doctor observed thoughtfully.

Jason made no reply, thinking this was rather obvious and cursing himself for having reacted so violently.

"Now, boy. You will obey me, won't you?"

The Prince lowered his eyes in apparent resignation and submission. "Yes, Master," he replied shakily.

"Excellent. Come with me, my Prince." The Master led the way out onto the balcony and its convenient exterior stairway.

Jason felt himself being pulled along behind him. Just like a dog on a leash, he thought bitterly. The realization of what was happening suddenly hit him and he pulled himself together. He had to continue resisting, not letting his guard down for a second. If he lost himself to the will of his tyrannical captor, all would be lost.

* * *

Had he been able to use the transmat, the Master would have found his other prisoner sleeping restlessly in her metal prison. After going over the possibilities of rescue or escape, Shadra had concluded that it was hopeless. For most of the night had she mourned the deaths of Cedric and the Doctor, having no way of knowing the Time Lord was still very much alive. As far as she knew, the Master was permanent resident in the body he had stolen—with her as his slave.

Fear, grief, anger and depression were eventually overtaken by exhaustion and the Baroness cried herself to sleep, unaware of the fact that help was very close at hand.


	27. 41 The Best Laid Plans

**Chapter 41**

**The Best Laid Plans…**

"Well, that's the last of it," Turlough announced as he reentered the console room of the Master's TARDIS. "Unless you can find anymore, Doctor, everything's been shredded." Since their arrival, he and Tegan had been removing documents steadily, taking them to the Doctor's own TARDIS and destroying them.

"Good, good, good. Excellent, in fact," came the muffled reply from beneath the control console. While his companions had been busy removing the paperwork, the Doctor had been busy with his contingency plan. Since his adversary was a proficient escape artist, he wanted to be ready just incase he managed to get to his TARDIS.

The Doctor appeared from under the console just as Tegan returned carrying a decanter. She looked around the room and then asked, "Where do you want me to put this?"

The Time Lord did not seem to hear her. Giving the controls a quick once over, a small chuckle rumbled from his throat, a grin spreading across his face. _That will keep him guessing,_ he thought and went over to a table from which additional paperwork been removed. "Well, that should take him a while to sort out," he said gleefully out loud.

"What've you done?" Tegan inquired.

The Doctor was already at the table, pen and paper in hand. "Oh, a little of this, a little of that," he replied vaguely, waving the pen in the air.

Tegan stamped her feet in annoyance. "Oh! Doctor, you can be so—!" She cut herself off when the Time Lord turned to look at her, his eyebrows raised above amused dark eyes, an almost devilish grin on his face. This was the first time she had called him by name. "Irritating?" he suggested helpfully.

Tegan could feel her face becoming very hot and was glad when the Doctor turned back to finish writing his note. She chose to ignore the smirk on Turlough's face.

The Doctor asked Tegan to place the decanter beside his completed message, another devilish grin coming to his face. It suddenly occurred to him that this was the first time since the exchange that he was thoroughly enjoying himself. Looking up, he said happily, "Now, Tegan, I believe you wanted to know what I've done. Well, to start with, I've activated the TARDIS's pause control. As soon as the Master closes the doors from the inside, his TARDIS will dematerialize." Then he, too, vanished through the double doors.

The Doctor waited for his companions to exit the camouflaged craft, locking the door and pocketing the key. His enemy would only be able to gain entry after the process was reversed. Turning to the puzzled Tegan and Turlough, he went on with his explanation, "Rematerializing will be a bit of a problem, too, as I've activated a randomizer in the console's command circuitry. Anything the Master tries to enter will be thoroughly scrambled. I also switched around a few circuits, just to make things interesting." With a mischievous grin, the Doctor added, "He'll be halfway across the galaxy before he gets it all sorted out!"

* * *

The Master and the captive Prince Jason made their way to the Crystal Cavern along the beach. Despite his desire to reach his destination with all due speed, the Time Lord kept the pace slow and unhurried to give the appearance of two friends enjoying a leisurely afternoon stroll.

One witness to this performance was the Palace housekeeper, who was glad the convalescing Time Lord had finally come out of seclusion. There were schedules to be kept, and the fact that the staff had been banned from his rooms was throwing everything behind.

The housekeeper sent word that the suite was accessible, hoping it was not in the same state of disarray as Turlough's. Why everyone had to break so much glass in one night was beyond her. Later, she decided she would have preferred discovering another broken mirror. A hundred broken mirrors. Anything other than the shattered body of Baylore. The second murder in as many days.

* * *

King Aaron had also observed his son's progress along the beach, watching in trepidation from an upper story window. He jumped when Captain Devron arrived, having forgotten he had sent for him. Without going into details, the King told the astonished Devron that the Doctor and the Master had exchanged places, ordering him to arrest the bogus Doctor and bring him back to the Palace, in chains if necessary. Aaron was not about to risk the life of his only child to the likes of the Master, no matter how forceful the boy's determination.

Devron bowed and withdrew, relieved that the waiting was over. Now he could plan his attack.

The King returned his attention to the window, discovering, to his horror, that the Master and Jason were nowhere in sight.

* * *

Devron left the King's upper chamber and walked straight into pandemonium. It took several minutes before he could sort out any intelligible explanation. When he did, he was numb.

Recovering himself quickly, Devron ordered the area sealed and then went to the Doctor's suite. With immense sadness he examined Baylore's shattered body, a violent rage like none he had ever known rising up inside him. Baylore was more than just one of his men, he was a very old and dear friend. A friend who had joined the Palace Guard just to stay at Devron's side. A friend who had studied night and day for his most resent, and well deserved, promotion.

Now Baylore was another casualty, a life snuffed out by the Master.

A growl rose in Devron's throat, his face darkened as he reflected on how easily they all had been manipulated by the evil Time Lord. _Not any more_, he thought angrily. Now he knew the truth, and more importantly, he knew where to find him.

* * *

The Doctor studied the control console in the Crystal Cavern for some time before finally giving a resigned sigh. The configuration was so totally alien that any attempt on his part to operate it would be unwise. _Where was the instruction manual when you needed it?_ "I'm sorry to say I'm completely unfamiliar with the Alterran's crystalline technology," he sadly to his companions.

"I'm sure you're completely familiar with this, Doctor," came his own voice from behind him.

The Doctor whirled around to see the Master standing at the entrance covering him with the TCE. A dejected Jason was beside him and shook his head warningly when his friend's inquiring gaze fell on him, both indications that something had gone dreadfully wrong.

The Master advanced, motioning the Doctor and his companions away from the console and away from the Doctor's TARDIS. The battered Police Box stood almost directly across from the Master's own disguised TARDIS towards which they now moved.

Jason followed disheartedly behind the evil Time Lord, being startled out of his depression by an odd sensation. His strength was suddenly returning to him. He felt like an empty glass being refilled and glanced up at the rhythmically pulsing crystals. There was an odd little rhyme about them; a strange portion to the ancient legend about the Cavern and its origins. It had never occurred to him that it might actually be important, and now it seemed that it might be the most significant thing he had ever learned—but he couldn't remember it! Fighting off the Master's mental attack had scrambled his brain, leaving him unable to think straight, which both annoyed and frightened him. He had come to rely on his phenomenal memory, probably too much, and resolved at that moment to never again become complacent in his own abilities. That is, if he lived through this.

The Alterran was snapped back to reality when the Master leveled the compressor at the Doctor. "It would appear, Doctor, that I shall have to kill you outright after all."


	28. 42 Confrontations

**Chapter 42**

**Confrontations**

"No!" Tegan cried.

Turlough grabbed her arm, preventing her from going to the Doctor's side. He was desperately hoping there was a plan in all this chaos.

"I feel I must compliment you on the loyalty of your companions, Doctor," the Master said mildly, shifting his gaze to Tegan. "When only a short time ago, they thought I was you…"

Tegan could appreciate the irony of this remark all too well. She had gone out of her way to look after this impostor, up to and including serving him his own private breakfast. Now it appeared she was siding with his sworn enemy.

During this confrontation, the seemingly subdued Jason was trying to come up with a way of forestalling the torturous and seemingly inevitable deaths of his friends—not to mention himself. He needed time to think, as did the Doctor, who was currently drawing a blank.

"It's alright, Tegan," the Prince said evenly. "He has no idea what he's about to do." Jason shot a quick glance in the Doctor's direction, hoping his friend would realize he was trying to buy time.

Which he did, and received the warning with mixed feelings. More accustomed to leading than following, the Doctor prayed his former companion knew exactly what he was doing.

The Doctor was not the only one to have mixed feelings. The Master was having a few of his own, having thought the Prince to be completely under his control. He was irked by Jason's sudden, open defiance and baffled by his ambiguous statement. "You resist me, young Prince," the Master remarked as he moved behind his shackled prisoner. "You'll soon discover this to be a vain exercise. Just as the Baroness has."

The Doctor blinked; only one to realize the significance of the Master's statement. At first, he thought he had heard wrong. _"Has?"_ he asked pointedly. "Not had, but _has_, present tense. Shadra's still alive!"

"Bravo, Doctor, you go to the head of the class," the Master purred, pleased that his rival had picked up the hint he had dropped intentionally.

"Alive!" Jason gasped. "But that's impossible! We found her body."

"No, you found _a_ body," the Doctor corrected sharply, stressing the "a" pointedly. "The question is, whose was it?" He turned his gaze to the Master, their eyes locking in silent battle once again.

The significance eluded Jason, who looked from one Time Lord to the other. "What're you talking about?" he demanded.

The Doctor did not take his eyes from his opponent. "Did you scan the body you found?"

Jason shuddered before admitting that he had not been unable to bring himself to do so.

"Something you were counting on, I trust?" the Doctor observed blandly, receiving an evil smile in reply.

Jason struggled to take this in, struggling even harder to bring his thoughts together. If it wasn't Shadra, then who was it?No one was missing, and the only person to leave in the last day was Cedric when he transmatted…_transmatted! Baylore was in charge of the transmat!_

The Prince's jaw dropped open, his eyes growing wide as the pieces suddenly fell into place. "No," he breathed in disbelief, "not Cedric. Even you wouldn't be so crude as to…" His voice trailed off as a smug expression came to his captor's face.

"Congratulations, my Prince," the Master cooed. "I always knew you were as equally obtuse as the Doctor."

"That's the most disgusting thing I've ever heard!"

"You seem to be of the same opinion as your fiancée on that point."

"Where is she?" Jason demanded, having completely forgotten his pretense of submissiveness.

"Not far," the Master replied vaguely. "You may even live long enough to see her again." Returning his gaze to his enemy, he said, "Not so for you, my dear Doctor."

* * *

Captain Devron returned to the security center to find the news of Baylore's abominable murder had already swept through the ranks. The entire Palace Guard was assembled and awaiting instructions. Not needing the entire complement, he handpicked a dozen of his most experienced men and dismissed the others.

Devron chose not to go into detail when relaying the King's instructions. He stated simply that _somehow_ the Doctor and the Master had exchanged places. It was imperative, therefore, that the Crown Prince be located, as he had last been seen in the company of the impostor. King Aaron had ordered the Master brought back in chains if necessary, and the Captain was deeming it necessary. As far as he was concerned, the Time Lord calling himself the Doctor was not longer to be trusted.

* * *

"Won't this be a little difficult to explain to the High Council?" the Doctor asked evenly, adding, "My Lord President?"

The Master smiled almost proudly as his adversary slowly untangled his scheme. "Do you really think anyone on Gallifrey will object to my having rid the cosmos of the Master?"

"So, you really are returning in my place. I thought as much. I knew you wouldn't've gone to all this trouble just to steal my remaining regenerations."

"In this case, Doctor, they're merely an added bonus," the Master replied, his voice hardening as he went on to add, "As you won't be having any further need of them." With that, he took careful aim at his helpless sworn enemy.

The Doctor fell silent. Having run out of options, he waited for the bulbous end of the compressor to glow as it released the ray that would kill him with agonizing slowness.

Jason, however, had been putting more pieces together. If Shadra really was alive, it was possible that the Master was controlling her in the same way he controlled Baylore, and possibly Cedric. He would have needed the transmat to get Shadra out of the Palace undetected, which made Baylore's cooperation, and silence, essential. Whether or not Shadra was currently under the Master's control was anyone's guess. One thing Jason was certain of, however, was that not long after the discovery of the shrunken corpse, the dizzy spells began. Since Time Lords were telepathic, the Master and the Doctor would have been linked together long before the process was initiated. Was it possible the Master's excessive telepathic activity in the form of mind control had caused of the accelerated deterioration of the link? The episodes were getting closer and closer together, and another must be due at any moment now.

Jason wondered if baiting the evil Time Lord into another battle of wills would trigger a surge of instability, thereby rendering him powerless. By the same token, it might also kill the Doctor, but what choice did he have? If he didn't do something, the Doctor would die anyway. And with Tegan and Turlough so close at hand, maybe, together, they could pull it off.

It was a big maybe.


	29. 43 Tell Me All

**Chapter 43**

"**Tell Me All!"**

The torturous silence was broken when Jason started to chuckle just loud enough to be heard. It turned out to be the last straw. The Master had had enough rebellion from his captive and took the bait: hook, line and sinker. "You mock me, boy, and I will know why!"

The force of the renewed mental attack caused Jason to stagger. _This isn't going to be fun_. His captor still had the advantage of the shackles.

"You will tell me why!" the Master demanded again.

Playing for time, the Prince answered haltingly, "If…if you…kill the Doctor…it…it…_AH!_" He cried out in pain as the impatient Time Lord bore down on him with greater ferocity. "You'll …break the…psychic link—" Biting off his own words, Jason tried unsuccessfully to turn away from his attacker.

"Tell me all!"

Jason gave another anguished cry and the rest came flooding out in a rush. "If you break the link by killing the Doctor, the process will reverse itself. Your mind will be returning to a _corpse!"_

This shattering revelation caused the Master to completely lose his concentration and release his mental grip on the nearly exhausted Alterran. Jason staggered back a few paces and wavered unsteadily on his feet, shaking his head to try and clear it.

Tegan and Turlough exchanged a look of mutual astonished and then turned at the Doctor, who cautiously motioned for them to remain as they were. Silent. "I think I know what he's doing," he said softly. Unfortunately, he could do little more than watch as his friend tried valiantly to stave off the merciless mental abuse.

After digesting the Prince's pronouncement, the Master came to the only conclusion acceptable to him. "You lie!"

Jason suddenly felt the full weight of the Time Lord's wrath descend on him and he collapsed to the floor. The excruciating pain in his head made him certain the roof had just caved in on him.

"I _will_ have the truth, boy," the Master thundered.

Jason could feel his defenses starting to weaken and struggled in vain against the metal bonds aiding in the attack on his mind. He would not—_Could not!_—let the Master know the truth. "Stop, please! I…I've…told you…everything!" he wailed in desperation.

The assault continued unabated. "I will have the truth."

"Stop, please! You're destroying my mind!"

Unnoticed by all save Turlough, Tegan had inched her way over to the control console in the appearance of shrinking away from the raging Time Lord. When Jason dropped to the ground, she could bear it no longer and grabbed the largest crystal from the center of the starburst, yanking it from its socket. Her intention had been to hurl it at the Master and thereby break his concentration. Instead, she did a great deal more. The gem was no sooner in her hand than both Time Lords cried out and sank painfully to the ground.

Horrified, Tegan froze, certain she was witnessing the Doctor's final death throes. She did not know that she had, in fact, just saved all their lives.

* * *

Inside the hidden computer center, Tegan's snatching out of the crystal had an equally dramatic effect. A major influx of power suddenly charged the Matrix, sending a colossal surge of energy through the gossamer web suspending the sleeping Shadra, who had fortune on her side. Had she not been sleeping and relaxed, the shock might very well have killed her. As it was, she only managed a startled cry before sagging back into the web.

In addition to knocking Shadra unconscious, the power surge completed the induced realignment of her molecular structure, going one step further by connecting her directly into the power of the Cavern Matrix.

* * *

"The platform," the Doctor gasped, unable to say more. The removal of the crystal had seriously unbalanced the stabilizing influence of the control console, and inside the confines of the Cavern, the effects of the instability were concentrated. A high-pitched whine filled the Doctor's ears and multicolored lights danced before his eyes. There was a crushing weight on his chest that made breathing almost impossible and he wondered if it might not be easier to just give in, as blackness was already starting to edge its way into his vision.

Freed from the grip of the Master's fury, Jason lay on the floor, dazed and gasping for breath. Hearing the Doctor's strangled cry, he struggled to sit up, blinking hard to clear his vision. Seeing what had happened to release him, he realized his friends had absolutely no idea what to do next. "Don't just stand there, Turlough," he yelled. "Get him on the platform!"

The shout brought Turlough back to his senses and he rushed to the Doctor's side. Tegan made to help, only to stop when the Prince ordered, "Tegan, put the crystal back before the instability kills them!"

Jason tried to stand, only to find it impossible. The effort of holding off the Master's mental attack had all but exhausted him. He watched as Tegan replaced the crystal and called to her again. "Would you please get these things off me?" he asked imploringly, moving his cape out of the way to reveal his securely shackled wrists. "There's a switch on them somewhere," he informed as she came over to help. Tegan found the activator and switched it off. The cuffs sprang open instantly. "Thank-you," Jason breathed gratefully.

The instant his hands were free, Jason felt his strength surging back and his mind was again pricked by the phantom memory of the rhyme. _If only I could remember the wretched thing!_ It would have to wait. Rising to his feet, he placed the unit on the floor and crushed it under his heel with a satisfying crunch.

Tegan had already gone to assist Turlough with the Doctor and together they half-dragged, half-carried the semi-conscious Time Lord to the platform before finally managing to place him on it. A beam of light suddenly streaked down from overhead, engulfing the gasping figure in an eerie red glow, and causing them both to fall over backwards in alarm.

The Master was in no better condition than the Doctor when Jason effortlessly swept him into his arms. He had to resist the urge to roughly dump him onto the ground, knowing that if all went well it would be the Doctor who would have to contend with the bruises.

Gently placing the incapacitated Time Lord on the platform, the Alterran took a quick step back to avoid being caught in the light beam. He picked up the loathsome TCE as he crossed to the console and then threw a cautious glance back at the Doctor's companions. "Cross your fingers," he said and then carefully reset the controls. Unlike the Doctor, Jason was completely familiar with the technology, his hands moving quickly over the instruments.

The moment the system came back on-line, Jason drew a deep breath and hit the activator, announcing quietly, "It's started." Turning, he returned to the platform to wait, wondering if he had just saved, or just killed, his best friend.

The instant the crystal was returned to its socket, the stabilizing influence of the console normalized. The Doctor's vision cleared and he found breathing far less laborious. He was aware of his companions' assistance but didn't come fully to his senses until he was immobilized on the platform. Upon hearing Jason's announcement, he braced himself. He was not looking forward to the overpowering process a second time.

As the power continued to build, the Doctor became aware of the system pulling on his mind, only this time he did not resist and was immediately drawn from the body he had been trying so desperately to vacate. To his surprise, he found himself fully alert and surrounded by an odd, multicolored glow. It was as if he had been absorbed by the tangible serenity permeating the Cavern. He also had the sensation of being suspended in time itself and could not recall ever feeling so completely at peace. It was really quite extraordinary, he observed dreamily.

Eventually, the Doctor was gently drawn out of his quiet cocoon. He wondered almost abstractly how long he had been in his limbo-like state. Seconds, probably. But with no frame of reference it was difficult to gauge. Not that it mattered. His companions could tell him once it was over.

Once it was over.

This thought brought a twinge of regret as the Doctor realized he would soon be out of this peaceful world and back in the world of reality.

Suddenly reality reared its ugly head as the same rush of hate-filled emotions abruptly flooded past him as they had during the first exchange. The Doctor realized, finally, that it was the Master's mind touching his own, but before he could consider the implications, consciousness started ebbing away, and even this he found relaxing. He sank peacefully into the blackness, his last thoughts those of blissful tranquility.

Reality could wait.


	30. 44 At Long Last

**Chapter 44**

**At Long Last**

Tegan, Turlough, and Jason had no way of knowing the reversal had been successful. Nor could they know the Doctor had actually been enjoying the curiously soothing procedure. All they could do was stand nervously by and watch as the twin shafts of red light gradually returned to their original white brilliance. After what seemed an eternity, the lights went out and the platforms silently sank back into the floor carrying their motionless occupants with them.

Jason exchanged a look of mutual uncertainty with the Doctor's companions before moving hesitantly to the lowered platform before him. He stared down at the figure he had placed there only minutes before, knowing a single touch was all it would take to confirm the identity of the unconscious, and still helpless, Time Lord. But fear of what his senses might tell him caused Jason to hesitate a bit too long. The figure stirred just as he was reaching out his hand. Startled, he took a few nervous steps back.

The Doctor opened his eyes and slowly sat up. He looked down at himself and sighed in relief. It was nice to be back. He looked up to see the Prince standing a short distance away and smiled, getting to his feet and dusting himself off. "Well, I must say, that was a far more enjoyable experience than the last time," he said conversationally to his dismayed companions.

"Doctor…?" Jason ventured sheepishly, still wary of the man before him.

The Doctor grinned and held out his arms. "In the flesh," he quipped. There was a chorus of groans in response, much to his delight.

"It's you," the Prince confirmed. It could be no one else.

"And just to be sure…" The Doctor took hold of one of Jason's hands and was startled when he received a harsh, accusing glare in response. He took an alarmed step back only to find the Alterran had taken a very firm grip on him. To his immense relief, his friend's eyes sparked mischievously before he broke into a broad smile. "Welcome back, Doctor."

Tegan and Turlough came over to join them and the Doctor thanked his friends whole-heartedly for their assistance—and for saving his life.

"What about the Master?" Turlough wanted to know.

"If he fought as hard as I did the first time, he'll be out for quite some time," the Doctor informed.

"And if he didn't?"

"Then he will have already recovered," came the velvety response from behind them.

The Doctor spun around to see the visibly recovered Master standing at the console, TCE in hand. Behind him, he heard Jason curse himself for having been so careless as to leave the deadly weapon out in the open.

The Master knew the Doctor's mental powers were formidable, although he would never admit to it openly. He also knew that if the Doctor had been unable to resist the exchange process, then he would be unable to do so also. He eyed the little group evilly. There was nothing to stop him from using the deadly device now.

"Who shall I choose first?" the Master asked softly, almost smacking his lips in delight. The possibilities were far too delicious to be rushed. He moved slowly away from the console to stand before his captives.

Jason stepped forward as if to shield the others, only to be motioned back. "Oh no, my Prince," the Time Lord purred, his voice hardening as he added, "I have other plans for you."

This statement sent a chill down Jason's spine. He backed up, positioning himself closer to the Doctor's TARDIS.

"You will move away from your companions, Doctor," the Master ordered, waving him aside.

Giving his companions an apologetic look, the Doctor hesitantly did as instructed. The same instant, Jason let out a cry of sheer terror, spun around and disappeared behind the TARDIS.

The Master laughed at the look of genuine astonishment on his rival's face. Obviously the events of the last few hours, and the threat of retribution for his actions at the Institute, had finally broken the Alterran's nerve, filling him with such abject terror that he had abandoned the others in order to save himself.

"It seems our young Prince has finally given in to his true nature," mocked the Master.

The Doctor did not reply, being too thunderstruck by Jason's unexpected flight. He knew his friend was terrified of the Master, but never in his wildest dreams would he have thought that he would leave them all to die.

"You're the expert on etiquette, Doctor," the evil Time Lord said contemptuously. "Am I correct in the assumption that it's polite and proper to let ladies go first?"

Tegan was horrified. It was bad enough to know the Master intended to kill them, but to be singled out as his first victim! The Doctor could only give her a mournful look when she turned to him. There was nothing he could do or say that would stop the inevitable and she knew it. She was even too frightened to be irritated when she heard him mutter something that sounded distinctly like, "Brave heart, Tegan."

Suddenly, long tendrils erupted from behind the TARDIS, coiling around the petrified Tegan and yanking her to safety. A second later, Turlough vanished in the same manner.

* * *

After his theatrical exit, Prince Jason had remained in the doorway of the TARDIS, waiting for an opportunity to strike. Upon hearing the Master issue Tegan's death sentence, he returned to his true form, pulling the Doctor's companions to safety.

"But what about the Doctor?" Tegan protested as she and Turlough were herded into the console room.

"He's too far away," Jason replied, changing back to his human form as he spoke. "I barely reached Turlough as it is."

"We've got to do something!"

"Don't you think I know that?" the Alterran snapped angrily. Seeing the anguished expression on Tegan's face, he realized she was just as frustrated as he was. "I'm sorry, Tegan," he said quickly. "I need time to think, and we don't have any."

Turlough went to the console and activated the scanner. Perhaps they could come up with something if they knew what was going on, which was not much. The Master seemed very put out by the rescue of the Doctor's companions, but it was something else attracted Jason's attention. The crystals in the Cavern wall were still pulsing rhythmically and the Alterran was transfixed by them. Then, at long last, he remembered the rhyme that had eluded him since his arrival at the Cavern.

"In mind's eyes the crystals glow," he recited softly. "Shared knowledge they intensify. Wisdom and unity they bestow. And the power—_amplify!"_

Tegan and Turlough exchanged a baffled look and turned to the Prince, wondering if he might be cracking up.

"Amplify, amplify," Jason muttered over and over. He paced back and forth, suddenly catching his breath and stopping dead in his tracks. "Of course! That's it! It has to be it!"

"What has to be it?" Tegan and Turlough asked together.

"I've got an idea. But it's a long shot. No matter what happens, stay in the TARDIS!" Jason ordered as he dashed out the door.

* * *

Knowing his own fate was sealed, the Doctor had resigned himself to the inevitable. At the same time, he was thankful that Jason's bewildering act of cowardice had merely been a well-crafted ploy for getting his companions out of harm's way.

The Master, in the meantime, was cursing himself for having underestimated the defiant Alterran, thus allowing himself to be out maneuvered with conspicuous ease. He had planned on initiating the exchange a second time, having concluded Jason's story to be a total fabrication. This time, he would kill the Doctor immediately afterward. Before doing this, however, the Master had planned on adding to his enemy's torment by allowing him to witness the deaths of his companions.

"It would appear," the Doctor observed blandly, "that Jason has, indeed, given in to his true nature."

"Indeed," the Master snorted. "Striking from hiding. The coward's way, my dear Doctor."

"Well, _you_ should know all about the coward's way, Master," Jason countered pointedly as he stepped from behind the Police Box, "considering you're the biggest coward I've ever met."


	31. 45 Long Shot

**Chapter 45**

**Long Shot**

The Master went purple with rage, much to Jason's delight. The Doctor, however, was aghast. "Jason, what the devil do you think you're doing?" he gasped.

"I've a score to settle, Doctor," Jason said calmly, crossing behind his horrified friend to stand at his side furthest from the TARDIS. Turning to the Master, he went on. "A little something to do with mental power, I believe. Your will against mine?"

The Master's face darkened further, causing Jason to grin innocently and then shake his head. "What a fool I've been," he sighed. "To think I've been afraid of you all these years…and now I learn it's you who's afraid of me."

The renegade Time Lord's eyes narrowed, a growl rumbling from his throat.

"Why else would you feel the need to use artificial means to control me?" Jason asked reasonably, adding, "Which, by the way, you didn't." As he spoke, he motioned the Doctor aside almost imperceptibly.

"Have a care, boy," the Master snarled. "I shan't hesitate to destroy you." This, in point of fact, was not the case. The Prince's role in his drama was to act as a deterrent against disobedience from Lady Tostine. Just as she suspected, the transmat had been rigged to act as Jason's prison. If she showed even the slightest hint of defiance, the Master planned to carry out his retribution on the captive Prince Jason.

The Doctor stared wonderingly at his Alterran friend. What was the boy trying to do? The Master was far too dangerous an opponent to taunt so flagrantly. It was an open invitation to death. An invitation the Master would be only too willing to accept. Jason knew this all too well, and seemed to be ignoring it as he openly goaded the Master, seemingly oblivious to the TCE aimed straight at him.

At this point, the Doctor would have readily agreed with his companions that the Prince was cracking up. He received a second wave aside, and this time he haltingly obeyed. All the while, he marveled at the way Jason was gleefully continuing his abusive barrage of insults.

Jason threw everything he could think of at the enraged Master, who was controlling himself with visible effort. The enjoyable show of disrespect ended with the observation that the Doctor was so much more the Master's intellectual superior that he was not fit to carry his shoes, much less try to fill them.

Finally, Jason had brought forth the catalyst that induced the reaction he was striving for. Screaming with rage, the Master leveled the compressor and fired. The ray struck the unwavering Alterran full in the chest, passing straight through and striking the wall directly behind him. Then he promptly vanished.

The rival Time Lords stood staring in stupefied amazement, exchanging a look of mutual disbelief. To their added astonishment, the Doctor was suddenly caught from behind by several tendrils and unceremoniously yanked into the TARDIS, the door slamming loudly behind him.

The Master howled angrily, beside himself for having been taken in a second time by the Alterran's ingenuity. The Prince was a true protégé of the Doctor and deserving of equal retribution. Throwing a glance in the direction of the hidden entrance, the Master's eyes narrowed. His revenge would be swift and exacting. First, he would kill the boy's father. All he had to do was get to the transmat…

At that moment, Captain Devron pushed open the stone door.

Being too far from the entrance to the computer room, the Master fled to the safety of his TARDIS, not realizing in his haste that the key should not have been in his pocket.

Then the disguised TARDIS promptly vanished.

* * *

Any rescue from certain death can be a bit of a shock. But to have it performed by someone who has just vanished into thin air can be traumatic, even for the Doctor, who has had more than his share of exceptional rescues. It took even him a minute to recover.

The scanner was still active and they all watched as the Master escaped, a devilish smile coming to the Doctor's face as his rival's TARDIS dematerialized. It would be quite some time before his enemy unraveled his little job of sabotage. But he would get it sorted out…eventually, and then he would be back. Of that fact, there was no doubt.

It was also in the future.

Right now, the Doctor was more interested in sorting out the present, starting with his miraculous rescue. Switching off the scanner, he turned to the Prince. "Jason, may I ask how you did that?" he asked mildly.

Jason gave him a blank look, the suddenness of the question momentarily throwing him. "Did what?" He received a dark look in reply. "Oh, that! Psychic projection. I was really behind the TARDIS the whole time," he said simply.

The Doctor marveled at him. When he had first become acquainted with Jason and his remarkable abilities, he had resolved that nothing the Alterran could do would surprise him. He now concluded that he had been wrong, as this latest demonstration was completely astounding. "Wherever did you learn to do _that!_"

Jason blushed, suddenly unable to look his old friend in the eye. This was not going to be easy to explain.

"Jason…?"

Jason cleared his throat nervously. "I didn't learn it, exactly, Doctor," he began meekly. "I…eh, well, I linked myself into the Cavern… Sort of."

The Time Lord was none the wiser. "Do you think you might be a little more specific?"

"Well…as I understand it, the crystals are interconnected. They form something called the Cavern Matrix. It's—Oh, I don't know. I guess the best way to describe it is to say it's a giant psychic amplifier. When placed in conjunction with a crystalline molecular structure it establishes the symbolic resonance that—"

"Amplifies the power of the mind," the Doctor concluded, now completely fascinated. He threw a quick glance in the direction of the exterior doors. The Cavern suddenly warranted a second look.

"That's the theory, anyway," Jason added hurriedly.

"How very interesting. A completely artificial—" The Time Lord broke off when his friend's comment finally sank in and he looked pointedly at him. "What do you mean _theory?_"

Jason blushed yet again, shifting uneasily on his feet. "Well…eh, to my knowledge, it's… never _actually_ been tested. It's…more of a legend…really," he replied, his voice trailing off to a mumble.

Turlough was appalled. "A legend! Do you mean to say…you tried all that…based on a _legend!_"

"I _did_ say it was a long shot," the Prince reminded. "And besides, most legends _are_ based on some fact."

"Yes, like King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table," Turlough snorted. "A magical sword in a stone and a magician who ages backwards!"

Jason's eyes lit up and he turned sharply to the Doctor, who knew instantly what he was thinking. When last they met, the Doctor appeared older than he did now.

"Yes, who would ever believe someone could travel backwards in time?" the Time Lord grinned, receiving a sour look in reply. "And wasn't it you, Turlough, who said molecular transmutation was only a legend?"

"I stand corrected," the young man said acidly, accepting defeat.

"I'm still in the dark on one major point," the Doctor began slowly, "and after what you've just told us, I'm almost afraid to ask, but… Did you or did you not say that the process could only be reversed in the Cavern?"

"I did. And I know what you're going to ask, Doctor," Jason said quickly, "and the answer is, yes. I was lying through my teeth."

"Indeed?"

The Alterran went on to explain the rationale that had gone into his dangerous bluff, the Master's limited knowledge of the exchange process being the key factor in his desperate attempt to buy time.

"Bluff!" Tegan found her voice at last. "You could've gotten us all killed! And now you stand there saying it was just an act?" She didn't know if she wanted to strangle him for nearly scaring her to death, or hug him because it had worked.

Jason would have gladly hugged her, confessing, "It was no act, Tegan, not by half. In fact, if you hadn't pulled that crystal when you did…" He shook his head, not really wanting to contemplate the outcome.

"I suspected you were up to something like that," the Doctor remarked thoughtfully. "Still, a rather substantial bluff on your part."

The fact that his mentor was so clearly impressed caused Jason to glow with pride. "Well, I was taught by a _master_," he quipped.

The Doctor groaned inwardly. Now, on top of his love for idiomatic expressions, the Alterran had also picked up the Time Lord's own penchant for puns. With a grin, he quipped back, "I think you've just earned your doctorate."

With a smile, Jason inclined his head and bowed slightly.

"So far we've only got part of the puzzle worked out," the Doctor stated as he pulled the door lever. "_Cetera desunt_," he added loftily, striding out the door.

Jason smiled at the blank expressions on the faces of the Doctor's companions. "Latin," he informed helpfully. "It means, _the rest is missing_."

"Too right," agreed Tegan forcefully, barring the Alterran's way. "I'd like a few explanations myself. In _English!_"


	32. 46 Mistaken Identity

**Chapter 46**

**Mistaken Identity**

The Palace Guards were also barring the way, standing just inside the Cavern entrance. Having heard the Master's TARDIS dematerialize, Captain Devron had wrongly assumed he was hearing the Doctor's TARDIS materialize. Possessing neither the skill nor the technology required to break into the Gallifreyan craft, he chose to simply wait until the occupants of the Police Box came out on their own. His patience was rewarded when the Doctor finally emerged.

Thinking his companions to be behind him, the Time Lord left the door ajar and sauntered towards a rock formation that jutted from a nearby wall. He was so intent on giving the crystals a closer look that he failed to notice the presence of the Palace Guards and jumped when Devron suddenly thundered, "Stop where you are! You're under arrest."

"Oh no, not again," the Doctor moaned. "This is getting to be a habit. Couldn't you arrest someone else for a change?"

Devron bristled. The sheer insolence of the man! "His Majesty has ordered the immediate arrest of the Master who has—"

"Just left," the Doctor interrupted. "You'd've caught him had you arrived sooner." So saying he continued toward the polished stonewall. He had his heart set on examining it and this untimely interruption only served to irritate him.

Captain Devron was becoming rather irritated himself, and had had quite enough. "I said stop, Renegade!" Drawing his weapon, he fired an energy bolt that exploded at the Time Lord's feet, stopping him in his tracts.

The Doctor heaved an exasperated sigh. "Marvelous," he grumbled. "This is all I need, reverse mistaken identity." He did not much care for the menacing look of the Captain either, and shot a quick glance over to the open door of the TARDIS trying to judge whether he could cover the distance before Devron could get another shot off.

"I wouldn't try it," the officer warned threateningly, "or I'll be forced to shoot you."

"Well, since you put it so nicely," the Time Lord said urbanely. Considering the power of the weapon in the officer's hand, it would very likely kill him, even on the stun setting. The Doctor also had the distinct impression that, given the right provocation, Devron would willingly overlook the innate abhorrence to violence common to his race and shoot him down. _The Master certainly could bring out the worst in people,_ he thought uneasily. Had the Doctor known of the brutal murder of Baylore, he would have readily understood the Captain's actions and the vengeful looks upon the faces of his fellow guardsmen that bore down on him carrying the chains with which they planned to drag him, none too gently, back to their sovereign.

* * *

The Doctor's companions had been trying, unsuccessfully, to translate what Jason had told them when the sound of the exploding energy bolt came through the open door. For a single frozen moment, they stood staring at one another.

"The Doctor!" Tegan gasped, breaking the silence and galvanizing Jason into action. He pushed past his friends and dashed from the control room.

Bursting from the TARDIS, Jason took in the Doctor's plight in a glance. The guards were almost upon the cornered Time Lord, and their demeanor was anything but amiable. At the entrance, Captain Devron stood with an energy weapon in his hand. _The proverbial smoking gun_, Jason thought as he slid to a halt, putting himself between the Doctor and the advancing Palace Guards. "_Stop!_ I command you!" he snapped with an authority that surprised even himself and brought the guards to an immediate halt.

"Your Royal highness, please, stand aside," Devron requested politely, his weapon still aimed unwaveringly at the Doctor. "His majesty has already explained what happened. I've been ordered to arrest the man calling himself the Doctor and return him to the Palace immediately."

Upon hearing this, the Doctor groaned audibly, causing Jason to turn to him with an amused smirk on his face. "It _was_ your idea to alert the Palace Guard in the first place, Doctor," the Alterran reminded in a low voice. Tegan and Turlough had followed him from the TARDIS, and were also having difficulty keeping a straight face.

The Doctor, however, was anything but amused. He did not care for weapons to begin with, and he especially did not care for being on the wrong end of one. "Jason, I would appreciate it if you'd tell this…_person_ who I am. I really don't fancy the idea of jumping through another window."

"We haven't fixed the last one yet."

The Doctor glared murderously back at the Prince, wiping the smirk off of his face instantly.

"Right," Jason said seriously and then turned back to the Palace Guard. "Captain Devron," he began firmly, "this isn't the Master. This is the Doctor—the _real_ Doctor. The process that caused the exchange was reversed, but the Master escaped—" Jason suddenly felt the words stick in his throat. He had been so busy with everything else that it had not sunk in that the evil Time Lord had managed to escape yet again. Taking a deep breath, he said, "It's all over, Captain. Put up your weapons and return to the Palace."

Confused, Devron scowled. How was this possible? He had heard the TARDIS materialize when he arrived, and the Prince was last seen in the company of this person. Being familiar with the Master's ability to control others, and not really understanding how the Time Lord's had managed to exchange places to begin with, Devron remained exactly where he was, gun in hand. To him, it appeared as if the Crown Prince was being manipulated.

In an almost condescending tone, the Captain suggested, "Sir, if you'll accompany me back to the Palace, perhaps we can get this—"

"_Are you arresting me?"_

"No, no, of course not. I merely thought—"

"Well, don't," Jason snapped. He drew himself to his full height, and Tegan was sure the crown on his head blazed even more brightly when he said, "I am the Crown Prince, am I not?"

"Yes, highness."

"Then you will obey my commands, Captain! Put up your weapons, and these ridiculous fetters—" Jason waved at the chains held by the halted guards. "—and withdraw immediately. Your presence is no longer required."

"My Lord, please, by reasonable," Devron insisted.

The Prince finally lost his patience. "Captain, I've ordered you to withdraw, and I suggest that you do so. Or I may not overlook the fact that you've just taken a shot at the Lord President of the High Council of Time Lords!"

There was no questioning the authority behind the voice or the implications behind the threat. The officer bowed quickly, signaled to his men and beat a hasty retreat.

"So much for the Cavalry," Jason sighed as he turned back to the greatly relieved Time Lord, who gave a courtly bow. "Thank-you, your Royal highness," he said, stressing the title ever so slightly.

"You're very welcome, my Lord President," the Prince grinned back, returning the bow. He turned to the Doctor's companions, who suddenly seemed to view him with greater respect. "_That_, my dear Tegan, was an act. And another first! I think I've finally learned how to wield power."

"Don't let it go to your head," the Doctor snapped in a tone that was much harsher than he intended. He had seen more than his share of men consumed by power. Even Jason himself did not know the full extent of his own powers, and those he had already mastered were formidable. He had struggled with his duality all his life, being compassionate and gentle-mannered, yet possessing a dangerously violent temper. When Jason first traveled with the Doctor, the Emperor had warned him of the danger the boy could pose were he not to receive proper guidance. Guidance the Doctor was expected to provide. Had he fulfilled that mission? Or had he failed utterly? the Doctor wondered, thinking back on how completely Jason had lost control of himself at the Institute.

The sudden, harsh rebuke took Jason completely off guard and he turned to the Doctor to protest. The distressed expression on his friend's face made him stop. He had seen that look too many times before not to know what the Time Lord was thinking—Again! "Now don't start _that_ again, Doctor!" he reproved with a laugh. "I haven't even come close to losing my temper."

Shaking off his dark thoughts, the Doctor put an arm around Jason's shoulder. "In that case, my friend," he said expansively, "might I suggest we start looking for that dear lady you intend to marry?"


	33. 47 The Search

**Chapter 47**

**The Search**

At that moment, the dear lady was trying to master some rather formidable powers of her own.

After regaining consciousness, the bewildered Shadra had found herself alone in the computer center and wondered what had happened. Had her tormentor returned while she slept to play a cruel trick on her? It would be just like him to do so. She surveyed the room to see if anything had changed and noticed that the energy barrier surrounding the cage had changed color. _He must've come back_, she thought, looking over to the console. Her gaze fell on the heavy gold collar that her captor had paraded in front of her as he waxed grandiloquent on his plans for total dominance.

"Oh, you hateful thing!" Shadra exclaimed, wishing for all the world that she could hurl it across the room. To her utter astonishment, this is exactly what happened. The ornate collar suddenly rose into the air and sailed across the room, striking the far wall and dropping to the floor in a heap of tangled metal.

"Did I do that?" she marveled. There was only one way to find out and Shadra concentrated on the heap of metal, trying to visualize it returning to the console. After a minute the collar rose, very slowly, into the air. It dropped to the ground only once before returning to its original resting place.

Overjoyed, the imprisoned Baroness realized that the forced realignment of her molecular structure must been completed. She did not feel any different, but obviously something had happened. What was it the Master said? She would be connected into the symbolic resonance of the Cavern Matrix so he could direct the power. Apparently she could direct it, too. Surely this wasn't part of his plan. Or had he overlooked her telepathic abilities? Shadra remembered how arrogantly the Time Lord had pointed out her race's lack of interest in their once formidable telepathic powers. She had not bothered to tell him that Jason had been trying to teach her how to use hers. She had found it a bit of an annoyance and only indulged him at the time as an excuse to be near him. Now she was very glad she had done so.

In the corner of the room stood a workbench littered with the discarded parts and tools the Master had used to connect her into the web. Shadra looked over at them and decided that a little practice was in order. If she could get the hang of this, then the Master was in for a very nasty shock when he came back.

Slowly, the tools began rising into the air, one by one.

* * *

"Anywhere in particular you want us to start looking, Doctor?" asked Turlough. He was hoping the Doctor might have some general idea where Shadra was being held, since he seemed to know exactly where the Master's TARDIS had been before they even started looking for it.

Regretfully, the Doctor was forced to admit he did not have a clue, quickly reassuring the panic-stricken Jason that he was certain Shadra was not aboard the Master's TARDIS. He went on to point out how the Master had hinted that she was not far away, and since he had not intended for them to live, there was no reason to doubt this was not the truth.

The four spread out and began methodically searching the walls. The Doctor continued to think out loud, wondering how his enemy planned to control the High Council. The Time Lords would never permit his villainy unless controlled, and proficient as the Master was at mind control, not even he would be capable of dominating so many trained minds without the aid of an external device of immeasurable power. The amplifying properties of the Crystal Cavern seemed made to order.

"He must've planned on harnessing the power generated in here," the Doctor theorized.

"That's ridiculous," Jason countered sharply. "He'd've had to change his—your—entire genetic makeup before he could even think of linking into the symbolic resonance. He could've done it after the transference of my genetic info, but there's no way he could do it now. He's carbon-based like the rest of you, not silicon, like me. Crystalline cell structure, remember?"

Jason's body shimmered and he was suddenly covered with smaller versions of the gleaming crystals covering the walls. He held out his arms in a so-there gesture, which the Doctor did not appreciate.

"I _am_ aware of that, Jason," the Time Lord said acidly. "It's more likely he was trying to channel the power some—"

"But how!" wailed the exasperated aristocrat.

_Inside the computer center, all the floating tools crashed to the table when the Prince let out his cry of vexation. Shadra had heard him, or thought she had, and was filled with renewed hope._

The Doctor, on the other hand, was irritated by Jason's cry of vexation and was about to ask his friend why he had suddenly stopped thinking, since he had been doing so well thus far. What would have been a very serious altercation was stopped before it began when, to the astonishment of all present, a female voice suddenly called out, the crystals encrusting the walls pulsing in time with her words. "Is someone there? Can anyone hear me?"

"Yes! We hear you!" the Doctor called back excitedly.

"Help me, please, somebody," she continued plaintively, her pleas echoing throughout the vast room.

"She can't hear me," the Doctor observed sadly.

Jason was spellbound and moved to the center of the room, taking in the rhythmically pulsing crystals with intense fascination. This was something he'd _never_ heard about. "Where's it coming from?" he inquired of no one in particular, his own voice echoing around them.

"Here! I'm here! Can you hear me? Oh, please, say you can here me," the imprisoned Baroness cried imploringly.

The Doctor gave the Alterran Prince a quizzical look. _Why had the voice responded only to him?_ Then he wanted to kick himself for failing to see the answer that was, quite literally, staring him in the face. Jason had already told him he'd linked himself into the Cavern Matrix and had probably reestablished the link when he changed into his current glistening form. It seemed obvious the voice was coming though the Matrix. That would mean the person at the other end was Alterran, too, and very likely the missing Lady Tostine.

Seeing the Prince's body shimmer, the Doctor ordered, "No, Jason, stay as you are. She only seems to be able to hear you."

The young man obediently returned to his jewel-studded form and called back to the pleading voice, "Hello, whoever you are, can you hear me?"

"Yes! Oh, yes!" This excited response was followed by the sound of joyful weeping.

"This is getting very weird," Turlough observed quietly.

"You mean it wasn't up until now?" Tegan replied aridly, watching as the mesmerized Jason slowly turned in place. Was he absorbing the room, or was the room absorbing him?

Jason jumped as realization dawned. "Shadra, is that you? It's me, Jason."

"Jason! Oh, thank goodness you found me!"

"We haven't exactly found you yet. Where are you?"

There was a long pause before Shadra hesitantly replied, "I don't know. Near the Crystal Cavern, I think. But I…I'm in…I'm…" The Baroness stopped, unable to bring herself to describe her deplorable confinement; saying instead, "There's an energy barrier. I'm trapped."

"Don't worry. We'll get you out," the Prince soothed.

"Jason, I'm so scared!"

As Jason tried to calm his frightened fiancée, the others returned to their search for some kind of hidden doorway. The Doctor gave the control console another look, finding the lever he had missed on his initial examination. He gave it a sharp pull, to his delight a panel slid quietly sideways revealing the passageway to the computer center. Without so much as a backward glance, he vanished into the tunnel.


	34. 48 The Lady In The Cage

**Chapter 48**

**The Lady In The Cage**

The Doctor moved cautiously down the passageway. It was not very long, but it was narrow and dark. _Not a good combination_, he thought uneasily. He was in no mood for surprises, which was unfortunate. The instant he emerged from the tunnel, he was greeted by a terrified scream.

The horrified Time Lord stood silently at the entrance, his revulsion being equaled only by his rage as he gazed at the captive Alterran cruelly stretched out and interwoven into the wire filaments as if she were a piece of circuitry. The Doctor could see the Master's hand in this. Shadra was being used in a similar manner as Adric, who had been suspended in a web of Hadron power lines and used to lure the Doctor into the space/time trap of Castrovalva shortly after his last regeneration.

"So _this_ is how you planned to harness the power," the Doctor muttered angrily. Shadra screamed again, and he raised his hands, slowly approaching the enclosure. "It's alright," he said, keeping his voice low and soothing, "there's no need to be frightened. I'm not going to harm you."

The Time Lord's calming words induced the reverse effect. The excitement of hearing Jason's voice had driven all thoughts from Shadra's mind except rescue and the sudden appearance of the Doctor both angered and terrified her. He was still the Master as far as she knew, and she thrashed violently among the wires in bitter frustration, believing the Prince had been used to deceive her into thinking a rescue was forthcoming.

"Shadra, please, calm down," the Doctor said gently as he drew closer. His foot touched the free running cable the Master had used when connecting her into the cage and he looked down at it in bewilderment, causing Shadra to panic.

"No! You keep away from me!" she screamed.

To their mutual astonishment, the Doctor was suddenly lifted off of his feet and flung forcefully back against the wall. It was as though an invisible hand had simply swept him aside. The force of the impact left him stunned and he dropped to the ground in an undignified heap.

Shadra immediately stopped struggling. In her terror she had completely forgotten about her newly acquired powers. She glared vengefully down at the motionless figure, wondering what she should do first for appropriate retribution.

The real Master was already dealing with the Doctor's retribution, and came out from under the central control console, slamming a fist down on it and cursing the Doctor's infuriating foresightedness. He had been so busy trying to figure out why his TARDIS had so suddenly dematerialized that he failed to notice the stacks of paperwork had vanished. That is, until that very moment, his eyes falling on the lone sheet of paper and decanter on the table across the room. His eyes narrowed at this additional piece of meddling by his enemy. He stormed over to the table, snatching up the note, which read as follows:

_blockquoteMy dear Master,_

_I thought you should know I destroyed all the papers you stole from Professor Turner. My apologies if, by some chance, I destroyed anything that wasn't from the Institute. But (knowing you) you probably shouldn't have had it anyway._

_You may find yourself a bit stiff, as I got a few rather nasty cuts and bruises when I was forced to jump through that window. And just in case you're a bit out of sorts for having been thwarted so masterfully by yours truly yet again, I left you a marvelous herbal restorative that will do wonders for your disposition._

_And good luck with the console. I hope you enjoy untangling all my little alterations as much as I enjoyed untangling this little scheme of yours._

_The Doctor/blockquote_

The Master changed through three shades of purple as he read the message, finally crumpling the paper in one hand and hurling the decanter across the room with the other. The container shattered against the far wall sending glass and liquid in every direction. "Next time, Doctor," he growled between clenched teeth. "Next time it will be you _who_ is shattered!"

* * *

The scream that greeted the Doctor had also echoed through the Crystal Cavern, causing Jason grave distress that was only heightened when Shadra no longer answered his calls. He turned to the Doctor only to discover that he was gone. The entrance to the computer center was standing open and the Alterran exchanged a mystified look with the Doctor's companions before returning to his human form and leading the way into the tunnel.

The group stopped short upon reaching the far end. The sight of the imprisoned noblewoman caused all of them to fail to notice the Time Lord lying senseless on the ground just behind them.

"It's just like Adric," Tegan gasped, giving voice to the Doctor's original observation.

Turlough started toward the cage, only to be grabbed back so forcefully by the Prince that he almost fell to the ground.

"Sorry," Jason said quickly, looking over at the enclosure. "That barrier's the wrong color. It's supposed to be blue for stun force. That one's violet. The color of a high energy suppression field." Turning pointedly to Turlough, he added darkly, "And those kill."

Turlough shuddered and took a cautious step back.

The Doctor stirred and groaned as he regained his senses, the pain in his head being first followed closely by his bruised shoulders where they had made contact with the wall. He tried to pick himself up off of the floor, only managing to get to a sitting position. He leaned back against the painfully hard surface still dazed.

"Doctor!" Tegan gasped as the three friends finally registered the fact that, considering he had entered first, the Doctor had been conspicuous by his absence in the room.

Jason knelt beside his friend, fearing he might still be suffering ill effects from the process. "Are you alright?"

"I'm not sure," the Time Lord replied, equally puzzled. He looked inquiringly at the trapped Baroness. "Did you do that?"

"Yes!" she hissed. "That, and a lot more."

The Doctor's bewilderment soon gave way to amazement as the heavy gold collar suddenly floated in to the air, an invisible hand wrenching off the medallion. The collar was flung into the transmat booth, shattering the enclosure and shorting out the Master's abominable circuitry modifications. The floating medallion was then propelled straight at the Doctor, who dove out of the way just seconds before the missile embedded itself into the wall behind him.

"Now see here," the Time Lord said indignantly as he climbed to his feet. "There's no call for any of this—"

"Silence, Time Lord!" Shadra commanded.

The Doctor was instantly immobilized, looking as if he had just been turned to stone.

"Stop it! Stop it!" Tegan cried. "Why are you doing this to the Doctor?"

"He's not the Doctor," Shadra responded forcefully.

"Oh no," Turlough moaned. "Here we go again."


	35. 49 The Cavern Matrix

Author's Note:

This story was written in 1989, ten years before the movie "The Martix" was released.

* * *

**Chapter 49**

**The Cavern Matrix**

The instant Shadra immobilized his body, the Doctor's conscious mind was projected in to the Cavern Matrix. He knew at once what had happened. He also knew there was no way he could get out on his own. With nothing else to do, he decided to make the best of a bad situation and started exploring. He was suddenly aware of the intense conversation going on in the computer room. It had all the earmarks of becoming a full-blown argument.

_Gently, gently_. _The poor woman's been through quite enough already. So have I, come to that._

The interior of the Matrix was a fascination and the Doctor happily indulged his curiosity. With any luck, he might be even be able to sort out how to free Lady Tostine. He would let his companions sort out the explanations.

* * *

"Shadra, let him go!" Jason said insistently. 

"I have! Honestly, I have," she replied, equally insistent.

Jason gave her a skeptical look and Shadra immediately lost her resolve. She had absolutely no idea how she had immobilized the Doctor, and it was to this she finally admitted, unable to change the fact that the Time Lord remained a living statue; unmoving, unblinking, expressionless.

Jason hesitantly touched his friend and was alarmed when no aura registered. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on what he hoped would be a normal scan, but this was not to be. The information he picked up completely baffled him and he opened his eyes, studying the paralyzed figure in bewilderment. "Why so far away?" he muttered softly.

Tegan did not like the sound of this. Nor did she like the odd look on the Prince's face. "Why _what_ so far away?" she said firmly.

Startled, Jason gave her a puzzled look. "What? Oh! Yes, well…" He cleared his throat, throwing a quick glance at the Time Lord's silent form. "It's, eh…difficult to explain," he said vaguely.

Tegan was in no mood to be put off. "_Try_."

"Try," the Prince repeated. Taking a deep breath, he said calmly, "It's just that…when I touched him just now, there was no aura." Tegan's eyes grew wide and Jason held up his hands. "It's there, but it's very far away. It's not like when he withdraws—like I told you before. It's different. It's as if…as if…" He paused, searching for the right words. "It's as if his body were in stasis, but his mind is elsewhere."

"Elsewhere? You mean literally!" Turlough exclaimed. "Oh no, Jason, not again!" He came up beside the Alterran, giving the Doctor's motionless form a closer look.

"Well, all I can say is, it's as if he were here, and yet, not here." Looking up, Jason asked, "Does that make any sense?"

"Not a bit," Shadra replied crisply.

"You know…?" Turlough began slowly. "If I didn't know better, I'd say he was in a kind of trance."

"_If you didn't know better,"_ came the Doctor's amused voice from around them.

Still wandering through the Matrix, the Doctor was unaware of the fact that his companions could hear him. They exchanged a look that was a combination of amazement, relief, and consternation as he went on with his observations. _"Interesting. A completely self-contained psychic amplifier. Interconnected. Perfectly balanced. An engineering masterpiece!"_

"I don't believe it," Tegan grumbled under her breath. "Here we are, worried sick about him, and he's off enjoying himself."

"Doctor…?" Turlough called.

_Turlough? Good grief, can you lot hear me?"_ the surprised Time Lord replied.

"We can hear you loud and clear, Doctor," Jason called back in bewilderment. "Although, I'm not exactly sure why."

"_Ah, yes, well_…_" _the Doctor said slowly, _"I've a theory about that—"_

Tegan cut him off. "Doctor, where are you?"

"_Ah, that's a bit tricky. I'm in the Cavern Matrix, you see. And_…_I'm probably still standing in the computer room as well,"_ came the unhelpful reply.

"I see. Well, thank-you very much, Doctor," the Prince said tersely. "That makes it all about as clear as mud."

"_I did say it was tricky,"_ the Time Lord chirped brightly. _"You might say I've let my mind wander."_

"He's as bad as you are, Jason," Shadra remarked, now completely confused.

Turlough exchanged a knowing look with Tegan. Wherever he was, the Doctor sounded perfectly happy and unharmed, meaning there was no reason why they could not look around themselves. The young man went over to the computer and opened an inspection panel, seeing at once that he had no idea where to start.

"How in the world are we ever going to shut this thing off?" Turlough asked, a bit overwhelmed by the enormous piece of alien technology. It looked nothing like the delicate printed circuits and memory chips he was used to.

"I'm afraid this one's beyond me, too" Jason confessed as he came up beside his friend. "This type of energy transduction really isn't my field."

"What is?" Tegan asked, having noticed the Prince seemed to know a great deal about everything they had encountered thus far.

"Getting into trouble," Shadra snorted.

Tegan giggled. "No wonder he gets on so well with the Doctor."

"Hey, just a minute…" Jason protested, suddenly feeling out numbered.

"_All right, that's enough!"_ snapped the Doctor. It had been a very trying two days and he was in no mood for squabbling. The rebuke shook the walls of the computer center and reverberated through the Crystal Cavern, silencing all present. _"Jason, we need to centralize the power being drawn from the Matrix. Go and shut down the control console in the Crystal Cavern."_

The Prince opened his mouth to reply, stopping when the Time Lord added acidly, _"That is, of course, if you know the correct sequence."_

Jason winced. _It's your own fault_. Y_ou're the one who said it wasn't your field._ He turned to Shadra, a devilish look coming to his face. "You know, on second thought, Shadra, maybe you ought to leave him in there."


	36. 50 This Has Been Altered!

**Chapter 50**

"**This Has Been Altered!"**

Inside the Matrix, the Doctor came across a tangled mass of connections unlike any he had encountered thus far. He knelt down to study them more thoroughly, being certain he had discovered the junction where the computer center was tied into the Matrix. His intense concentration was interrupted when a hand suddenly touched him on the shoulder. Startled, the Doctor spun around, falling over backwards in the process. He looked up to see Lady Tostine standing before him in her human form. He observed the latter without surprise, knowing of the Alterran predilection to concealing their true form.

"Shadra!" the Time Lord gasped, a hand going to his chest to keep his hearts from jumping out. "You gave me quite a turn."

"It is you, isn't it, Doctor?" she asked nervously. "I mean, it really is _you_ this time, isn't it?"

"Of course it's me, my dear," the Doctor said as he got to his feet, explaining that it would be impossible for him to conceal his identity even if he chose to. Inside the Matrix, she was the one in control. He noticed that even though this seemed to allay some of her fears, the Baroness was still apprehensive and he took a small step back, which was all he needed to do verify his identity.

Shadra smiled self-consciously, lowering her eyes. "Is there anything I can do?" she asked sheepishly.

"I'm not entirely sure myself," the Doctor sighed, turning back to the connections. "I'm still trying to sort this lot out." He waved a hand at the tangle of wires flashing colorfully beside him.

To Shadra, they were just a meaningless jumble. "Do you know—?" She caught her breath when she saw the lights keeping time with her words, a phenomenon the Doctor observed with keen interest. It seemed to confirm his suspicions.

Recovering herself, the Baroness tried again. "Do you know what they're for?"

"I believe this is where you're connected into the Matrix," the Time Lord replied, returning his full attention to the junction.

Shadra gave way to an involuntary shudder, the tangle of wires taking on a whole new meaning. She jumped when the Doctor suddenly turned back to her and asked, "Tell me, did the Master tell you how he planned on using all this?"

"Oh, yes…" she responded grimly, telling of how her captor had taken great delight in laying out his scheme and then reminding her how powerless she was to stop him. Shadra told the Doctor all she could recall of the Master's plan to subvert the High Council of Gallifrey.

* * *

While the Doctor was busy in the Matrix, Jason was busy in the Crystal Cavern. He carefully removed the crystals from the sunburst console and returned them to their fitted case. At the same time, he explained the KaRoon-Tar to Turlough, who was the only one who did not know the full story.

Once the crystals were removed, Jason deactivated the console and was about to go back to the computer room when a sudden thought struck him. What if the console itself had been damaged? It had been the stabilizing factor from the time of the exchange and had very likely been subjected to the same roller coaster ride of instability while the Time Lords were linked together. The accelerated deterioration might have been just as stressful on the computer as it had been on them. The Prince crawled inside the unit and was relieved to find no signs of damage, which he reported to Turlough as he extracted himself from the small space.

"Jason, you said this wasn't your field," Turlough remarked, "but you seem to know awful lot about this place."

The Alterran gave an amused grunt. "I grew up around here, Turlough. I was weaned on the legend of the Crystal Cavern." He then admitted that, like his friend, he had always considered most legends to be so much superstitious nonsense. An attempt by the unenlightened to explain the mysteries of the universe. Now it seemed all too obvious that the Cavern legends had merely been a smoke screen to conceal the true nature of the place.

"The legend states that the Chamber of Balance is of paramount importance," Jason was saying. "But its exact location was lost." Turning to the secret passage, he added, "Until now, that is."

Turlough followed his gaze. "The computer center!"

"Yes," the Prince agreed blandly. Crossing to a panel beside the console, he pulled it open and looked inside. "That would mean the energy flowing through there, comes through here before—" Jason broke off and scowled into the opening.

"What's wrong?"

"That's odd. It looks different," the Alterran replied. He touched a button and a shelf slowly came out bearing a large oblong crystal set on a pedestal. Jason passed a hand slowly up and down the crystal's length, studying it with an intensity Turlough found unsettling. Something was very wrong, but he held off his inquiries until the Prince finished his examination, not wanting to break his concentration.

The gemstone throbbed with power as Jason moved his hand over its surface. Suddenly, he caught his breath and looked up in alarm. "This has been altered!"

"What is it?" Turlough wanted to know.

"The primary power filter to the Matrix. It's been altered in such a way that the power can be bled off." Wide-eyed, Jason looked over at his perplexed friend. "Turlough, this is serious!"

Turlough was not the only one unsettled by the sudden note of panic in Jason's voice. _"How serious?"_ came the Doctor's voice from around them. Since he would never have described the Alterran as an alarmist, he braced himself for the reply.

Jason returned the crystal to its niche and closed the panel. "The crystal regulates and stabilizes the power generated by the Matrix. I used to think it directed it into the console. Now it seems more likely it's directed into the computer center. What the legend calls the Chamber of Balance. The thing is, the way it's been altered, if the power isn't restabilized as it's drawn off, there won't be any balance." He paused before stating gravely, "The entire Matrix will become a giant positive feedback circuit."

"_The power will keep building to infinity,"_ the Doctor concluded soberly. _"You're right. This is serious. And you said it wasn't your field." _He turned back to Shadra, seeing a horrified expression on her face. From what she had told him, the Doctor gathered the Master was planning to use his TARDIS as the relay for the power drawn from the Matrix. Had he also been using it as a stabilizer? If so, the Doctor feared the peremptory removal of the Master's TARDIS might have started an energy build up, putting the trapped Baroness in the most appalling danger. Something she already appeared to have concluded for herself.

"Shadra, I must return to the computer center," the Doctor said in a gentle, yet urgent tone, "and I shall require your assistance to get out of here quickly."

"Certainly, Doctor. What must I do?"

* * *

While the others were busy with their various tasks, Tegan kept watch over the Doctor's stone-like form. She could hear the conversation going on in the Matrix as well as the one at the other end of the tunnel. Upon hearing the Doctor express his desire to leave the Matrix, she wondered how quickly he meant, discovering he meant immediately when the living statue suddenly sprang to life and dashed over to the computer.

"Doctor! You nearly scared the life out of me," she scolded. "Are you alright?"

"No time for that now," the Time Lord snapped impatiently. He waved a hand at the cage in which Shadra seemed inextricably imprisoned. "We've got to get that monstrosity disconnected from the Matrix power source!" He looked around the enclosure, seeing several cables connected to the top. They ran along the ceiling and down the wall disappearing into the side of the computer at the end nearest the now demolished transmat.

"This thing has to be plugged in somewhere," the Doctor muttered, following the cables with his eyes. He snatched up a crow bar from the pile of discarded tools and wrenched the panel open.

"I'm afraid it was already plugged in when I got here," the Baroness informed, trying to keep her voice from trembling. "And I don't remember where you—_he_—turned it on."

The Doctor threw her a reassuring smile. "Don't you worry. We still have my TARDIS. We can always use her, if we need to." Looking back into the unfamiliar circuitry, he added under his breath, "And if there's time…"


	37. 51 How Do We Shut It Off?

**Chapter 51**

**How Do We Shut It Off?**

Jason and Turlough suddenly heard the Doctor's voice coming, not from around them as before, but through the passageway to the computer center. It was followed by the sound of the panel being torn off.

Jason shook his head. "He does get around, doesn't he?"

"And it sounds like he's using the direct approach to shut down the computer," Turlough observed, holding out a hand in an after-you gesture. "Now why didn't we think of that?"

* * *

The Doctor looked up when Jason and Turlough appeared at the tunnel entrance. "This is incredibly old," he said in a surprised tone. "Been here for centuries by the look of it." This was totally unexpected. He had assumed the Master had installed the mismatched equipment. Now it appeared that only the enclosure had been added, the computer itself being a major portion of the Matrix, if not the Matrix itself.

Jason looked into the exposed section. It was almost identical to the one he had just crawled out of. He reached inside, scanning the interior. "You're right, Doctor, it's incredibly old. But not centuries. Millennia!" he said, turning to his friend in awe. "It's Alterran in design, too, but …the technology!"

"Perhaps your ancestors had a great deal more wisdom than you give them credit for," the Doctor observed aridly, rising to his feet.

"Perhaps…" the Alterran replied noncommittally, following the Time Lord as he moved along the massive unit. The Doctor's eyes absorbed each detail of every mismatched section until he reached the main terminal where a puzzled expression came to his face. He scowled at the terminal, looked back along the computer and then at the terminal again. "This isn't right. It's completely alien compared to everything else."

Jason nodded. "It's almost as if it were added as an afterthought."

The sight of the Doctor studying the equipment with such intensity caused Shadra to shudder. Trying to keep her voice from sounding accusing, she said, "That's the panel the Master used to regulate the power flowing through this contraption I'm in."

The Doctor nodded absently, announcing that the instruments indicated the power to be stable, which alleviated the fear of a runaway power build up. "You know, Jason," he said mildly, "I'm surprised you don't recognize this. You've been under the console in the TARDIS enough times."

"Oh, Doctor, please," Jason moaned, "this is not the time to start talking in riddles. What does the TARDIS have to do with any of this?"

"Because the TARDIS is from Gallifrey," the Doctor stated to the unimpressed Alterran. "And so is this." He patted the section they had been scrutinizing, adding, "And it's not what you'd call standard equipment, either. It's been designed for some highly specialized tasks."

"Gallifrey! How on earth did it get here?" Jason asked unastutely.

"I should think _that_ was rather obvious," the Doctor replied caustically. "Apparently the Master wasn't too busy to pick up a few things for himself while he was stealing information for Professor Turner. The question is, how did he get it out of the Capitol without being detected?"

"I thought the question was, how do you shut it off?" Shadra injected astringently. She was beginning to feel completely forgotten in the midst of all these scientific observations, none of which were getting them any closer to freeing her.

The Doctor and Jason exchanged a guilty look before turning to face her. In his mind's eye, Jason could picture exactly how Shadra would be standing were she in her human form; head tilted slightly to one side, arms folded, fingers drumming on one are, and an impatient expression on her face

"Well, Time Lord?" Lady Tostine said pointedly. "_You're_ from Gallifrey, too. Can _you_ shut it off?"

"Ah…yes, well…" the Doctor stammered out, looking to Jason for help and finding none. With a resigned sigh, he said, "In a word, no."

* * *

King Aaron was incredulous when Captain Devron returned empty handed, becoming even more annoyed when informed of Jason's intervention when the guards tried to take the Time Lord by force. By the time the officer finished his report, Aaron was seething. What was Jason playing at? He hated the idea of being Crown Prince. Did he think he could use his position whenever the spirit moved him? Or was the Captain right and Jason did not realize what he was doing because the Master was manipulating him,

The King decided it was time he to take matters into his own hands. "Captain, reassemble your men," he ordered. "We're going back to the Crystal Cavern. I think it's time I found out just what's going on around here."

* * *

Inside the Crystal Cavern, what was going on was not at all to the Doctor's liking. The circuits inside the stolen control panel were completely fused, making it impossible to turn off the power flowing through the enclosure. Tegan asked, rather practically, why they simply didn't replace the altered crystal, and Jason replied that this was impossible, as there was no replacement. Unlike the natural crystals embedded in the walls of the Cavern, the filtering crystal, and those in the console, were artificially produced, free of the flaws that would make them structurally unsound. When asked how he knew this, the Prince confessed to having scanned the crystals upon learning of the KaRoon-Tar.

"The molecular structure of that filtering crystal is unlike anything I've ever encountered," Jason remarked.

"Do you remember what it was like originally?" Shadra asked innocently.

Jason gave her a dark look, annoyed that she would even ask such a question. "Yes, I do," he replied coolly. To his shock, she suggested that because of her current, unique situation, she might be able to draw on that knowledge to reconfigure the crystal to its original state. She certainly had the power to do it.

"That would mean having to put Jason in direct physical contact with the crystal!" The Doctor was appalled. "Have you any idea what would happen if you lost control of the energy flow?"

Jason put a restraining hand on his friend's arm. "She may not, Doctor, but I do," he informed softly. Before the Time Lord could protest further, he said forcefully, "I've got to risk it, Doctor. She'll _die_ in there!"

The Doctor tried in vain to dissuade him, pointing out that the Master would not have gone to all this trouble without taking his prisoner's health into consideration. Shadra's molecular structure had been modified to make her a part of the computer, sustained by the Matrix indefinitely. While this was not the most pleasant state of affairs, it did mean she was in no danger of starving to death while they tried to work out a safe way of extracting her.

Jason would not hear of it. He had been willing to risk his life to save the Doctor and saw no reason why he should not do the same for Shadra. He stormed from the computer room, the Time Lord at his heels. "You can't stop me from doing this, Doctor."

"Oh, can't I?" the Doctor replied harshly. He pulled the Alterran out of his way, positioning himself in front of the panel. Folding his arms, he glared at the Prince, staunchly refusing to move. If Jason wanted to proceed, he would have to remove the Time Lord by force, something the Doctor knew he was not prepared to do.

"I'll go along with this lunatic plan," the Doctor said firmly, "but only if the pair of you give me your word that you'll break off if anything unforeseen should happen. And I mean _anything._ No matter how insignificant."

"Okay! Okay! I promise!" Jason exclaimed unconvincingly.

His friend did not move. "I don't want your promise, Jason, I want your _word_." The Doctor received a dark look in reply. The Alterran's word was his bond and he knew it.

After a momentary stand off, the Time Lord succeeded in extracting the promise from the Alterrans that they would do as he asked. With a smile that was almost smug, he stepped aside, allowing the Prince access to the panel.

Jason pulled out the shelf, drawing a deep breath to steady himself. He closed his eyes and took hold of the crystal, concentrating on its original configuration. This was to be the only thought in his mind.

The Doctor went to the tunnel entrance, calling to Shadra that they were ready. For a moment nothing happened. Then the crystal started to glow very dimly, changing color several times. So far, so good, the Time Lord thought. Everything was going well. Later, he realized he should have known better. Jason suddenly caught his breath and went rigid, a golden glow completely engulfing him.

Appalled, the Doctor frantically called for Shadra to break off, but the glow continued to grow in intensity until it was a blazing ball of light so bright that the horrified observers were forced to shield their eyes. When the glare finally faded, the Doctor blinked to clear his vision, seeing the crystal pulsing dimly upon its pedestal. Jason, however, had vanished.


	38. 52 Escape

**Chapter 52**

**Escape**

"He's gone!" Tegan gasped, going over at where Jason had been standing only moments before. She turned in shock to the silent Time Lord, who shook his head sadly. "Oh no," she whispered. "Oh, Doctor, no."

"Look!" Turlough gasped, pointing to the sunburst in the center of the room.

They did, seeing a ball of golden light growing in brightness at the center of the sunburst. It blazed brightly a few seconds, fading quickly to leave behind a slightly dazed yet very much alive Prince Jason. He looked over at his thunderstruck friends, asking, "Did it work?"

Only Shadra knew they had succeeded. Before being completely cut off, she had chosen to play it safe, teleporting Jason to safety before the final flare of energy surged through the crystal, which would have seriously injured if not killed him.

With the power crystal restored, the energy flow returned to normal. Power stopped flowing through the wires in the cage, and the energy barrier shut down. No longer restrained by the barrier, Shadra freed herself immediately, returning to her human form. All that remained of the web was a tangled mass of wires at her feet. Then she waited for someone to remember to come let her out. She could easily have torn the enclosure open, but preferred a more dignified exit, which she hoped would be soon.

The Doctor was the first to return, emerging from the tunnel to be greeted with Shadra's most enchanting smile. It was appropriate, she thought, that _he_ should be the one to let her out.

Jason was the next to appear, taking the freed Shadra in his arms and holding her tightly, a stray tear rolling down his cheek as he kissed her passionately on the mouth. Tegan and Turlough joined the reunion and the Doctor stepped aside, setting to work on disconnecting the stolen computer component. Since he was in no great hurry to return to Gallifrey himself, he asked Jason to do the honors of returning the component for him. It was request the Prince amusedly agreed to.

It took the combined efforts of Jason and Shadra in their more powerful true forms to remove the bulky element without damaging it. Within a few minutes, they were gently placing it on the floor.

"I should think it'll be alright there until—" The Doctor broke off when a familiar wheezing and groaning sound filled the air. To the astonishment of all present, the component abruptly dematerialized. "Good grief, that was fast."

"The Time Lords!" Jason gasped. "They've known all along!"

"Possibly," came the bland reply. "It's more likely they didn't trace the unit here until after the Master and I exchanged places."

"And they did nothing to help you?" Shadra was appalled. "Why…that's terrible."

"No, that's typical," Tegan stated bluntly. She could think of several instances when the Time Lords had hijacked the TARDIS so the Doctor could solve one problem or another for them, each instance being very dangerous and very one-sided.

The Doctor shot her a reproving look, but only a mild one. She was, after all, quite right. "It would appear the Master was expected," he observed. "I wonder what kind of reception he had coming?"

"I know the one I'd've planned," Shadra said with a distinct edge of revenge to her voice. "Receptions are one of my specialties."

"Ye-es…" The Doctor winced, rubbing his bruised shoulder. "Remind me to stay on your good side from now on." Glancing over at the broken wreckage in the corner, he added, "And since you've taken care of the transmat, we'll have to walk back to the Palace. But then, I expect you wouldn't mind a nice walk, would you?"

* * *

King Aaron stormed into the Crystal Cavern, the Palace Guard at his heels. To his surprise he found, with the exception of the Doctor's TARDIS, the room was empty. Exchanging a baffled look with Captain Devron, the monarch entered slowly.

Devron noticed the entrance to the computer room standing open and stopped the King's progress. He did not like the look of this and drew his weapon, leading the way himself. They were halfway across the room when the Doctor emerged from the tunnel.

"Oh no, not you again," he groaned. "Haven't we been through all this once already?"

"Where's my son?" King Aaron demanded. "What've you done to him?"

"What've I…" The Doctor was nonplused. "My dear Aaron, I've done nothing, I assure you."

"Don't give me that! What's going on in here?"

The Doctor smiled broadly, his eyes growing wide. "Wondrous things."

Jason and Shadra stepped from the tunnel at that moment, crossing to the dumbfounded monarch. Tegan and Turlough followed, remaining with the Doctor at the tunnel entrance.

"Don't you just love happy endings?" the Doctor asked whimsically.

Tegan shot Turlough a conspiratorial look before saying, "I love any ending I survive to tell about."

The Doctor heaved an exasperated sigh. "Spoken like a true romantic."

* * *

Several days passed as the official inquires were compiled; the language in regards to the mind-bonding process purposely vague. In the Doctor's opinion, the Master was given a great deal more credit than he deserved, but in order to keep the dangerous process a secret, he was willing to let it go.

When the Crystal Cavern was sealed, the Doctor's TARDIS was sealed inside, which did not set well with the usually even-tempered Time Lord.

Now it was Shadra's turn come to the rescue. She was able to persuade the Chief Investigator to allow the TARDIS to be removed from the Cavern by subtly reminding the stodgy official that the Doctor was not just a guest of the King, but also happened to be the Lord President of the High Council of Time Lords. She pointed out that it would be unwise for the investigation to escalate into a diplomatic incident involving their oldest of allies.

Grateful for the return of his TARDIS, the Doctor decided it was time to make his own escape—before anything else came up! Although saddened by the sudden departure, his companions readily understood the logic behind it.

Jason found himself torn when the Doctor announced he was leaving. He yearned for the freedom of his once vagabond existence, but was bound by his commitment to his people. Shadra knew he had always regretted his decision to leave the Time Lord's company and told him she would not force him to stay. She would, however, wait for him to return. Without realizing, she had done the one thing that made up Jason's mind. The love and devotion of the woman he adored, and had almost lost, had just been given to him with no strings attached. How could he possibly walk away now?

* * *

The Doctor's companions filled him in on everything that had transpired during the Master's impersonation and he was impressed at how Jason had been able to set aside his own immense grief in order to comfort and support Tegan. It was this that convinced the Doctor that he no longer needed to worry about his friend misusing his formidable powers. Jason had always tried to conceal his gentle, caring nature behind flamboyance, but it came through anyway, despite his efforts. The Doctor felt certain that if the Prince were to refine the powers he had already mastered, he would be a leader of preeminence. Now all he had to do was convince Jason of this. 


	39. 53 Regrets?

**Chapter 53**

**Regrets?**

The Doctor was not usually one to indulge in heart-to-heart talks, but found they could not be avoided with Jason around. No matter how hard he tried, the Alterran could not get away from the fact that he was emotional by nature. He had never been able to achieve the coolness of his own people, nor could he come close to the total de tachment of the Time Lords. His long association with the Doctor had helped to steady him in many ways, but he still longed for more, feeling like a total failure whenever his volatile temper erupted like a volcano.

"Jason, you can't change who you are inside," the Time Lord told him as they walked along the beach one last time. "And, quite frankly, I don't know why you'd want to. What's wrong with staying the way you are?"

"So I can embarrass myself in my own court every time I lose my temper?"

"No. So you can feel the pain of others and put an end to it, like the Healer you are," the Doctor countered. "Your emotions aren't always negative. You just don't look for the positive ones. You should do. They're a true asset that have you marked for greatness."

The Alterran laughed. "Doctor, I'm trying to be serious."

"So am I," came the startling reply. "I foresee a great leader in you, Jason, but you're the one who's going to have to find him."

"Jason the Great? No, I don't think so." The Prince stopped, turning his gaze to the setting sun. "I can't even rule myself. How am I going to rule a planet? I'm just a rebellious Healer in fancy dress."

The Time Lord laughed. "I thought you were a Healer with a pedigree," he remarked, recalling one of the Alterran's previous descriptions of himself. The Prince gave him a wry smile.

Tapping the young man's temple, the Doctor said, "I suggest that you _learn._ I'm sure you still have _some_ room left up there. And, I dare say, you're reasonably intelligent. It shouldn't take too long for you to get the hang of it."

Looking his old friend in the eye, Jason exploded, "Do you want the truth? All right, here's the truth. I don't want it! I never did. Oh, I know you used to think I was power mad. A danger to all creation or something, but the very thought—"

"Terrifies you," the Doctor completed, unfazed by the sudden outburst. "More than the Master?" he asked mildly.

Jason paused, only to shake his head. "Well, no, I suppose not. I don't think anything could terrify me more than—" He broke off when he saw a grin spread across the Time Lord's face. "Doctor, that's not fair!"

The Doctor's smile broadened. He turned toward the Palace—and his TARDIS—a chuckle escaping his lips.

"You always could read me better than I could myself, couldn't you?"

"Not always. You did give me a nasty turn when you suddenly bolted behind the TARDIS. I had the distinct impression you weren't coming back."

"_Really?"_ Jason appeared delighted by the news.

The Time Lord gave him a quizzical look. "It pleases you that you nearly frightened the life out of me?"

"No," came the amused reply. "It does seem appropriate compensation, though."

The Doctor was now completely baffled. "Compensation?"

"For forgetting to come back for me the way you promised originally. A month after the Master escaped, I knew you weren't coming back. I thought it was because I'd made such a nuisance of myself just before you left."

"You _knew?_"

"Actually, I guessed. _Now_ I know. It was odd to me that you should leave alone with the promise of simply jumping forward in time, and then reappear a full year later with Leela and K9." With a mischievous grin, Jason added, "And, of course, your scan didn't match up."

The Doctor cleared his throat, clearly embarrassed by this disclosure. He had always thought his friend never suspected a thing. "Yes, well…" he stammered, "there _is_ an explanation for that, you know."

"I'm sure there is, Doctor, and I should dearly love to hear it—someday. Unfortunately…" Jason nodded in the direction of the TARDIS where Tegan and Turlough stood waiting.

Relieved he would not have to elaborate on his previous lapse of memory, the Doctor completed the journey to the TARDIS in silence. Lady Tostine appeared at that moment bearing a message from King Aaron stating that the Doctor would always be welcome in the Royal Court of Tel-Shye. The message was accompanied by a gold seal that impressed the Time Lord's companions more than him, as he already had a similar seal from the Imperial Court in his possession. He suspected the message and seal were merely a thank-you for his not having taken Jason away with him.

After a round of good-byes, the Doctor said, "Alright, you two, in you go!" and Tegan and Turlough suddenly found themselves being hurriedly ushered into the TARDIS.

"Will I ever see you again, Doctor?" Jason inquired just as the Time Lord turned to follow his companions inside.

"Who can say?" the Doctor quipped. "Perhaps I'll pop back in a couple hundred years and see how you two are getting on." A broad smile spread across his face and, in spite of his downcast spirits, Jason found the smile infections, recalling their last parting ending with just such a smile.

"No regrets?" the Doctor asked suddenly.

"No, not this time," the Prince said without hesitation. "Farewell, my friend. I hope we _shall_ meet again." Pausing, he added, "And _do_ try to come back with the same face, Doctor!"

"I'll try," the Time Lord grinned as he closed the door. A minute later, it dematerialized.

Jason and Shadra watched silently as the TARDIS slowly faded out of their lives, taking with it three good friends and leaving behind many memories. The Prince wondered if he truly would see the enigmatic Time Lord again, knowing how unpredictable both he and the TARDIS could be. "Good-bye, Doctor," he whispered as the blue shape disappeared.

After a long pause, Jason drew in a deep breath and sighed heavily, turning to Shadra with a watery smile on his face. This had turned out to be more difficult than he imagined. The first of many difficult decisions, he thought as he gazed at his future bride.

Putting an arm around her fiancé, Shadra whispered, "You could always have the Time Lords hijack the TARDIS for you."

Jason could just imagine the Doctor's reaction to this and laughed out loud. "Maybe I will, someday. When I'm King," he replied, only half-joking. "Jason the Great!"

Shadra giggled and Jason put his arm around her, holding her very close. _I won't lose you again,_ he thought, _not ever_. Turning, he looked back at the Palace that would one day be his and walked slowly towards it.

Time to begin a new life…

* * *

Tegan and Turlough had watched the parting on the viewer, the Doctor disappearing from the screen only to come striding exuberantly into the console room a moment later. "Right! Where shall we go next?" he cried, rubbing his hands together, trying to sound more cheerful than he felt. Looking up, he asked, "Any suggestions?"

"Will they be alright, Doctor?" Tegan had wondered, nodding to the image of Jason and Shadra on the viewer.

"Oh, I shouldn't worry too much," he replied airily. "Shadra will look after him." The Doctor began setting the coordinates for parts unknown. Tegan smiled weakly when he switched off the scanner. "I think I'm going to miss having him around."

"I know I am," Turlough said sulkily from across the room.

The Doctor remained silent, apparently too busy to take any notice of them. He hit the dematerialization switch and the time rotor lit up, rising and falling as the TARDIS took flight. His companions left the console room and he straightened, throwing a glance at the blank view screen. _One day it might get easier to say good-bye_, he thought. _One day. In the future. Time would tell, as it always did._

"Yes, my friend," the Doctor said softly, "until we meet again."

* * *

AUTHORS NOTE:

The story that follow this one chronologically is a Doctor Who-From Eroica With Love Crossover "Terror Behind The Iron Curtain." It was written specifically for publication in the Iron and Silk Fanzine published in 2006.

The next entry in my Whoniverse of fan fiction is a four part "epic" **The Transmutation of Time **and brings old friends and new enemies into the lives of the Doctor and his companions; crossing time streams, overlapping timelines and looking into the future as well as the past.

If you have would like to know when I begin posting a new story, just set up an author alert and you will be emailed as chapters are added. To do this, go to the Alerts section on your main user page, click on Author Alerts at the top and enter Margaret Price or my user ID 827930.

* * *

Who Is My Enemy? © 2003 by Margaret Price is an original work written for the enjoyment of Doctor Who fans everywhere. No copyright infringement is intended.  
Original series broadcast on the BBC. Format © BBC 1963  
Doctor Who and Tardis are trademarks of the BBC.  
The story and all other original characters are © Margaret Price


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